How many Muslims in the U.S. agree with Haitham Ibn Thbait? No one dares to ask such a question, of course; that would be “Islamophobic.”

“An American Hizb Ut-Tahrir Leader Exhorts Muslims to Refrain from Voting in U.S. Elections, Says: Islam Is Here to Dominate,” MEMRI, May 15, 2016:

Haitham Ibn Thbait, of the American chapter of Hizb Ut-Tahrir, recently exhorted American Muslims to avoid falling into the “electoral trap” and called upon them not to vote in the U.S. elections, saying that getting Muslims to vote was part of an effort to assimilate them and that they had been “tricked” into voting for Clinton, Bush, and Obama in the past. Speaking at the Khilafah 2016 conference, held in Chicago on May 15, Ibn Thbait further called Obama a “terrorist” and said that “Islam is here to dominate.” The address was posted on YouTube by Hizb Ut-Tahrir on May 20.

Following are excerpts

Haitham Ibn Thbait: The Prophet said: “There is no god but Allah.” Instead the [elites of Mecca] rejected. They offered the Prophet wealth, status, and political representation – a seat on the executive branch within Mecca’s secular order – all to avoid this statement and its implications. Yet he rejected their offers and continued his journey towards radical change, providing us with step-by-step instructions on how to make this religion supreme.

[…]

The elites of Mecca would use every possible measure to coerce or contain Muhammad’s call for change within specific parameters. Those parameters would permit the changing of anything that did not threaten their system and infringe on their power. But this message is not here to integrate. It is here to dominate. Islam is here to dominate! This was an ideological struggle, the sole purpose of which was to organize Man’s affairs in accordance with a system revealed by Allah.

Crowd member: Say: “Allah Akbar!”

Crowd: Allah Akbar!

Crowd member: Say: “Allah Akbar!”

Crowd: Allah Akbar!

Crowd member: Say: “Allah Akbar!”

Crowd: Allah Akbar!

Crowd member: Say: There is no god but Allah!

Crowd: There is no god but Allah!

Crowd member: Say: There is no god but Allah!

Crowd: There is no god but Allah!

Crowd member: Say: There is no god but Allah!

Crowd: There is no god but Allah!

Haitham Ibn Thbait: There was no room for compromise. Instead Allah revealed to the Prophet, saying: “Proclaim openly, as commanded, and turn away from those who associate others with Allah.” “Proclaim openly, as commanded by Allah” – this is our activism. It is free of polytheism, the polytheism of a secular system. Activism within a flawed infidel system is forbidden.

[…]

You cannot raise your hands to Allah, while extending your hands to men for legislation. Every four years, you do just that. Muslims are pressured to get out there and vote, believing somehow that their insignificant numbers have an impact. The effort to get Muslims out there to vote has never been about their significance. It is part of an effort to assimilate Muslims.

They have tricked Muslims into voting for Clinton, who went on to starve half a million children in Iraq to death. They tricked Muslims into voting for Bush, who went on to bomb two Muslim countries and kill millions. And they went on to trick Muslims to vote for Obama, who bombed seven Muslim countries and killed millions.

The argument used was always the “lesser of evils.” So now, killing millions of Muslims is a “lesser evil.” “What is the matter with you? How do you judge?” [Quran 68:36] The ballots have brought you nothing but disgrace, and have soaked you with the blood of your Muslim brothers and sisters. The problem with their system is not the scores of dead. It is deeper than that. It is their secular faith. It is in direct opposition with our creed, when Allah says: “Legislation belongs to none other than Allah.”

Muhammad and his companions established for us a political system where sovereignty belongs to Allah and not to the elites, where politics meant caring for the affairs of Mankind, not only the elites, where da’wa was conveyed to the whole of society, not only to the oppressed and excluding the elites. This system was not for the 99% or the 1%. This system was for the 100%. For those of us in the West, Allah granted us the opportunity to be amidst a people so misinformed that the truth we offer will resonate. Our voice is our greatest weapon, and our silence is our worst enemy.

[…]

We have seen Obama in Cairo, and later in Baltimore, reinforcing what type of Islam is acceptable. Brothers and sisters, Obama is not an Islamic reference. He is a terrorist. He represents a system of terrorism. How dare we allow him to teach us what Islam is?

Crowd member: Say: “Allah Akbar!”

Crowd: Allah Akbar!

Crowd member: Say: “Allah Akbar!”

Crowd: Allah Akbar!

Crowd member: Say: “Allah Akbar!”

Crowd: Allah Akbar!

Crowd member: Allah is our Lord, and the infidels have no lord.

Crowd: Allah is our Lord, and the infidels have no lord.

[…]

They want to entice you and intimidate you into embracing their way of life. They want to change our Islam We are not their puppets. We are a cure and a mercy. We carry a comprehensive system of solutions for Mankind, and we should act accordingly. Muslims in the West are a part of this struggle. We should not underestimate our impact in this global effort. We need to be honest about who we are, what our global program is, and advocate for the system of Islam, wherever we may be, and explain it to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Don’t fall into the electoral trap.