ASIO Wants Hizb ut-Tahrir Designated as a Terrorist Organisation

As he gave the 2025 Lowy Lecture on Gadigal land at Sydney Town Hall on 4 November 2025, spy boss Mike Burgess warned the nation is facing unprecedented foreign threats, and, in terms of the enemy within, or the fifth column, the ASIO director general considers that local chapters of global Islamic organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir warrant broader scrutiny, with long-term calls to terrorism list it.

Burgess went as far as to compare Hizb ut-Tahrir with the National Socialist Network, which is the neo-Nazi organisation that has for more than two years been mobilising on Australian streets without any consequences. He underscored the Islamic group’s “provocative behaviour, offensive rhetoric and insidious strategy” is to condemn Israel and Jews to attract new recruits to its ranks.

Later, following Burgess’ address, Dr Michael Fullilove fielded questions, which included what to do about groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir that are stretching “the boundaries of legality”, and this then led the top spy to suggest that the Islamic organisation is doing all it possibly can within the boundaries of the law, to perpetrate “awful but lawful” behaviour, which means it’s simply been acting legally.

The comments from the ASIO boss immediately reinvigorated the push to list Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organisation. NSW Liberal MLC Susan Carter suggested the government “ban its operation” on 18 September 2024, in a similar manner to which the UK, Germany, India and Indonesia has, and conservative commentators are questioning why federal Labor have not moved to act on this.

The suggestion that action be taken against this group has been given all the more credence due to Hizb ut-Tahrir moving to hold a 23 November 2025 forum called Islam: The Change the World Desperately Needs at Bankstown’s The Highline Venue, with intelligence appearing to consider that Muslims talking about a deeper influence from their faith being a threat to social cohesion.

“This is our country”

“How can we accept that?” Burgess asked Fullilove before the Sydney Town Hall crowd. “This is our country. They can do that in their own location. They certainly shouldn’t want to do that here. Of course, others would argue people of certain beliefs are allowed to do that which could change the country.”

“However, the majority set the will of the country and the values of the country,” the ASIO boss continued. “Something is not quite right when we let this continue, because I really worry about that giving off the vibe that drives inappropriate, violent and threatening behaviours in our society and that should concern every single decent person in this country.”

In an article about Burgess’ speech, The Australian links two earlier reports to support the idea that federal Labor is failing on this issue, yet neither piece addresses the Islamic group, and rather, one article relates to home affairs minister Tony Burke failing to commit his government to implement the Special Envoy’s Plan to Combat Antisemitism, which neither has anything to do with the group.

Sky News host Sharri Markson too charged the Albanese government with “refusing to proscribe” Hizb ut-Tahrir, or list them as a terrorist organisation. On 9 November, she added that Liberal shadow home affairs minister Jonathon Duniam had raised the issue that day, outlining that such a move would be in line with the want of senior law enforcement and intelligence agents.

Australia commenced listing groups as proscribed terrorist organisations in October 2002, in the wake of the 2001 September 11 attacks. A listing results in a number of terrorism offences, such as directing, being a member of or recruiting for such a group, being triggered. These crimes carry extremely steep penalties. Currently, there are 31 organisations listed as terrorist groups in Australia.

Charged with legal acts

“Australian intelligence head rolls out unintelligent cover for genocidal entity,” Hizb ut-Tahrir said in a 5 November 2025 statement. “ASIO director general Mike Burgess used his Lowy Institute address yesterday to extend the Australian government’s continued cover for the genocidal entity.

“Burgess offered a sweeping collection of worn out cliches, lifted from both the government and genocidal advocates, warning about threats to social cohesion, a rise in antisemitism and the normalisation of politicised violence,” the Islamic organisation continued.

“This lecture being delivered at the Lowy Institute, founded by ardent Zionist and genocidal advocate Frank Lowy, is a poignant reminder of what the government means when it talks about social cohesion.”

Hizb ut-Tahrir is an Islamic organisation that formed in Al-Quds-Jerusalem in 1953. The anticolonial group’s establishment was a reaction to the Israeli takeover of Palestinian land. Hizb ut-Tahrir considers that society should be more aligned to the Islamic faith, but this too entails a civil and semi-secular caliphate. The group also rejects the use of violence to get its point across.

In fact, Burgess twice underscored in his speech that Hizb ut-Tahrir are known for anti-Israel discourse, which he considers could stoke broader community antisemitism. Of course, not all Jewish people are supporters of Israel. Burgess and Fullilove both suggested that members of the group are being “awful not unlawful” in rhetoric. Yet, the pair are complaining about engaging in legal acts.

A nonviolent group

Hizb ut-Tahrir members speaking about the benefits that Australian society could gain by greater adherence to the Islamic faith is not illegal. Different types of Christian groups do this, and while it can receive political pushback, ASIO doesn’t tend to engage in discussions about listing Christian groups. Australia is a multicultural and multifaith nation and some of these people are likely citizens.

Then UK home secretary James Cleverly tabled legislation in January 2024, which sought to list Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organisation. As the group was listed, this meant that belonging to or inviting support for it were criminalised under anti-terrorism laws, similar to laws prohibiting membership of a terrorist organisation in Australia. He cleverly further stated at the time that the group is antisemitic, and, as in Australia, members described the October 7 2023 Hamas attacks as hopeful victories.

Writing in for the UK International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, Dr Richard McNeil-Willson explained at the time that when the recommendation for listing was made, it was highly problematic because it listed what is essentially a nonviolent group. The researcher added that the proscribed terror listing regime had actually been serving to keep Hizb ut-Tahrir in line for decades.

“Ultimately, the ban will likely cause more harm than good – to Muslim communities, to civil and democratic rights and to counterterrorism itself – and is a likely indication that other nonviolent organisations may soon come under the security lens,” the ICCT researcher explained.

The academic also added that two previous attempts had been made to outlaw the group in the UK in the past. However, investigations of it found that it was not “a gateway to terrorism” and rather, the group’s British chapter is more concerned with “political discourse than action”.

“From a societal perspective, the ban is rooted in, and directly exacerbates, wider patterns of Islamophobia and racism in the UK, risking community cohesion – as well as fuelling fears that other nonviolent Muslim organisations may soon come under scrutiny,” the academic further warned.