News:

The questions came thick and fast. We had just sat down for a one-hour session where they could ask me any question regarding Islam, Muslims, Hizb ut Tahrir, anything. I was seated in front of a room of non-Muslims who were all students in their early or mid twenties. Stories about Islam and Muslims are always in the UK media so there would not be a shortage of issues, and some would have looked me up on twitter and I was told that they had been given a link to one of my previous media interviews. One was an American and seemed to think I would hate all Americans because I hate the actions of the American government. We quickly cleared that up because the average American is not the same as the U.S. government.

Comment:

I had a few minutes to make some opening remarks. I spoke about why Hizb ut Tahrir was established in the Muslim world, its aims there and its work here in a predominantly non-Muslim country. I explained that the predominant but false narrative that governs how Muslims are seen today says that the more Islamic people become, the more they become a threat to others in the UK, hence we now see a constant attack on Islamic values and practices (e.g. Muslim schools, halal meat, support for the uprising in Syria, separate seating for men and women at university Islamic society events) even though these practising Muslim have no intention to harm their neighbours, neither did they support the 7/7 London bombings or similar events.

So the questions started: Do you think the Paris attacks were justified? How is Hizb ut Tahrir different from ISIS? You condemn the actions of the U.S., do you condemn the wrong actions of Muslims as well? What is Hizb ut Tahrir's vision of a Caliphate? Is there a two-tier justice system for Muslims in the UK? Do you think the Paris attacks were expected? What should happen to people (Muslims) who come back from Syria? Should people go to Syria from the UK? How can you say people should get along when Muslims do not accept homosexuals?

Alhamdulillah, it was a very frank and informative session on both sides. I came away with a reminder of how strongly people are being affected by the government and the media's relentless negative portrayal of Muslims as a problem and a threat. I also came away with the reaffirmed belief that one to one interactions such as these - where people can ask Muslims sensitive questions that are on their mind - are one of the strong ways of overcoming the government's prevailing war on terror propaganda and showing that we can live together and that the fact that Muslims won't give up their Islamic values does not mean we are a threat to our neighbours. May Allah (swt) enable Muslims in the West to be true ambassadors of Islam to the wider public.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Taji Mustafa
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in Britain