“He is implying we should not advocate an Islam that is a threat to Western capitalism.” Hizb ut-[Tahrir] does not promote violence but ultimately wants the world to convert to Islam and has described suicide bombers as martyrs to the cause. The group regularly meets in Sydney, and a gathering on Friday night attracted 30 to 50 new recruits.

“The Hizb condemns violence as a means to achieve its aim,” Mr [Doureihi] said. “None of the London bombers were members of Hizb ut- Tahrir.” The Russian Supreme Court put Hizb ut-Tahrir on a list of banned terrorist organisations in February 2003 for its links with Chechen separatists, and Germany outlawed the group the same year on charges of anti-Semitism. It is banned in much of the Islamic world.

A RADICAL Islamic group under investigation in Britain for links to a London bomber has vowed to keep recruiting in Australia.

A spokesman for Hizb ut-Tahrir said the group’s membership was growing and the more they were attacked the stronger they became.

“The more we come under pressure the more we return closer to Islam,” said Wassim Doureihi yesterday.

John Howard called on Muslim leaders to refrain from inciting hatred and intolerance. “There is an obligation of tolerance and respect on the part of all of us for bona fide different views on religion and politics and so forth,” Mr Howard told the Ten Network.

“But there is a reciprocal obligation on leaders of communities, be they religious or otherwise, not to incite hatred, not to preach intolerance, and that’s a responsibility that Islamic leaders in Australia carry very heavily.” Mr Doureihi said the comments were an attack on the core of Islam, which was incompatible with capitalism and Australia’s secular society.

“It is becoming more and more clear that the issue is Islam itself, not just radicals or moderates,” Mr Doureihi said.

“He is implying we should not advocate an Islam that is a threat to Western capitalism.” Hizb ut-Tahrir does not promote violence but ultimately wants the world to convert to Islam and has described suicide bombers as martyrs to the cause. The group regularly meets in Sydney, and a gathering on Friday night attracted 30 to 50 new recruits.

Links between Hizb and one of the July 7 bombers, Shehzad Tanweer, were being investigated by British police.

“The Hizb condemns violence as a means to achieve its aim,” Mr Doureihi said. “None of the London bombers were members of Hizb ut- Tahrir.” The Russian Supreme Court put Hizb ut-Tahrir on a list of banned terrorist organisations in February 2003 for its links with Chechen separatists, and Germany outlawed the group the same year on charges of anti-Semitism. It is banned in much of the Islamic world.

A spokeswoman for Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said the Hizb was not a banned terrorist organisation in Australia, the US or Britain. “There is no offence for people having extremist views,” Mr Ruddock’s spokeswoman said.

A director of the Islamic Council of Victoria, Waleed Aly, said Foreign Minister Alexander Downer’s suggestion that moderate Islamic leaders needed to be more vocal in condemning terrorism were “profoundly unfair”.

“The suggestion we haven’t done enough to condemn terrorism is frankly offensive,” Mr Aly said, warning that criticising radicals could encourage extremist behaviour.

“If (radical groups) are truly extreme, they are likely to ignore condemnation and in fact it would embolden and intensify the rhetoric.”