Under new terrorism legislation following the Bondi Beach attack, Australia has officially banned the non-violent Islamic political party Hizb ut-Tahrir, with those supporting or joining the group facing up to 15 years in jail.
On Friday Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) became the first organisation to be banned under the Australian government’s new hate laws, which were introduced following the Bondi Beach attack.
The Islamic political party, which campaigns for the return off the Khilafa, will now be prohibited as a hate group, meaning those who recruit for, provide training, funds, or material support for HT will be considered in breach of the new laws.
The harsh crackdown on “hate speech” by Australian lawmakers has come following the deadly shooting at a Bondi Beach Jewish celebration on December 14 2025, which killed a total of 15 people.
The aftermath of the attack triggered widespread condemnation of Australia’s approach to “hate speech”, with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke saying that the attack, which was carried out by individuals with “hate in their hearts and guns in their hands”, demanded a “comprehensive response from the government.”
Groups targeted following Bondi
HT was one of two groups which were named as the main targets following the Bondi attack, along with the neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Network, which disbanded in January.
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HT has been banned and proscribed as a terror organisation in numerous countries worldwide, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Türkiye, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and all Arab countries except Lebanon, Yemen and the UAE.
The group had allegedly long been on the radar of Australian spy agency ASIO but was not formally banned due to falling below the legal bar.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said his “history of fighting with Hizb ut-Tahrir goes back 20 years”.
“There’s a general acceptance from Australians that there is a level of hatred and dehumanising language that does provide a pathway for violence,” he said.
Burke said ASIO director-general Mike Burgess had been raising the alarm about the group’s influence for years.
“He believed their rhetoric, their hatred, was providing a pathway for others to be engaging in violence and thought it was a real risk.”
Muslims concern over new “draconian laws”
The new hate speech laws in Australia have previously been labelled by various Australian Muslim organisations as particularly problematic.
A statement released in January by over 26 Islamic groups around the pending hate speech bill said the following areas were most problematic: “New racial vilification offences, a new hate listing regime, changes to visa requirements, and changes to gun ownership.”
“In short, everything that restricts the speech and conduct of white Australia has been shelved or is being renegotiated. The part that strips the Muslim community of its rights will still be rammed through parliament.”
“It’s the war on terror all over again.”
“Our community besieged whilst the rest of Australia gets on with its life,” the statement said.
Hizb ut-Tahrir
Hizb ut-Tahrir is an international Islamist political organisation founded in 1953 in Jerusalem by Palestinian scholar Taqiuddin al-Nabhani.
The group advocates the establishment of a global Islamic caliphate governed by Islamic law and seeks to unite Muslim-majority countries under a single political system.
Hizb ut-Tahrir says it pursues its goals through political and ideological work rather than armed struggle. However, critics and several governments accuse it of promoting extremist views and undermining democratic systems.
The organisation operates in multiple regions, including the Middle East, Europe, Central Asia and South Asia.
It is banned in several countries and was outlawed in the United Kingdom in January 2024 under terrorism legislation.
