Ata Abu Rashta
Encyclopedia
Ata Abu Rashta is an Islamic jurist, scholar and writer. He is the global leader
of the Islamic political party Hizb ut-Tahrir
.
in Mandate Palestine
. His family was expelled from Ra'na in 1948 and moved to a refugee camp
near Hebron
, where he completed elementary and middle school. He graduated from the Al Hussein Bin Ali school in Hebron in 1960 and completed his matriculation at the Ibrahimiya school in Jerusalem in 1961. Accepted to the Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University
in Egypt
, he graduated with a degree in civil engineering
in 1966. He worked in a number of Arab countries as a civil engineer and wrote a book on the calculation of quantities in relation to the construction of buildings and roads.
in the mid-1950s and worked closely with Taqiuddin an-Nabhani, founder of the party, and Abdul Qadeem Zallum who succeeded him after an-Nabhani's death in 1977. In the 1980s, Abu Rashta he was a leading member of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Jordan and was appointed its first official spokesperson.
Abu Rashta came to prominence in Jordan
during the Persian Gulf War
when he convened press conferences, lectures and debates at public venues throughout the country. He debated the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait at the Jerusalem Mosque in Amman
at which he delivered a lecture entitled The Neo-Crusader Assault on the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf. He was regularly detained by the Jordanian authorities.
In 1994, in an interview, Ata Abu Rashta said, "The establishment of the Caliphate
is now a general demand among Muslims, who yearn for this: the call for Islamic government
(the Caliphate
) is widespread in Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Pakistan, Algeria and so on. Before Hizb al-Tahrir launched its career the subject of the Caliphate
was unheard of. However, the party has succeeded in establishing its intellectual leadership
, and now everyone has confidence in its ideas, and talks about it: this is clear from the media worldwide."
Abu Rashta was designated a prisoner of conscience
by Amnesty International
after his detention by the Jordanian authorities in the 1990s. Abu Rashta was sentenced to three years in prison for an interview published in 1995 in the journal al-Hiwar. He was later imprisoned for a further six months for membership in an "unlicensed organisation."
Abu Rashta became the global leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir on April 13, 2003, following the death of Abdul Qadeem Zallum. Since assuming this position, Abu Rashta has launched his own website and has spoken at conferences in Indonesia, Pakistan, Yemen and Britain.
Leader
A leader is one who influences or leads others.Leader may also refer to:- Newspapers :* Leading article, a piece of writing intended to promote an opinion, also called an editorial* The Leader , published 1909–1967...
of the Islamic political party Hizb ut-Tahrir
Hizb ut-Tahrir
Hizb ut-Tahrir is an international Sunni. pan-Islamic political organisation but keeps it open for all including shias,some of its beliefs are against sunni school of thought, whose goal is for all Muslim countries to unify as an Islamic state or caliphate ruled by Islamic law and with a caliph...
.
Biography
Ata Abu Rashta (Sheikh Abu Yasin Ata ibn Khalil ibn Ahmad ibn Abdul Qadir al-Khatib Abu Rashta) was born into an observant Islamic family in the village of Ra'naRa'na
Ra'na was a village located approximately 26 km northwest of Hebron. It was occupied by Israeli occupying forces during Operation Yo'av in October 1948...
in Mandate Palestine
Mandate Palestine
Mandate Palestine existed while the British Mandate for Palestine, which formally began in September 1923 and terminated in May 1948, was in effect...
. His family was expelled from Ra'na in 1948 and moved to a refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
near Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
, where he completed elementary and middle school. He graduated from the Al Hussein Bin Ali school in Hebron in 1960 and completed his matriculation at the Ibrahimiya school in Jerusalem in 1961. Accepted to the Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University
Cairo University
Cairo University is a public university located in Giza, Egypt.The university was founded on December 21, 1908, as the result of an effort to establish a national center for educational thought...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, he graduated with a degree in civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
in 1966. He worked in a number of Arab countries as a civil engineer and wrote a book on the calculation of quantities in relation to the construction of buildings and roads.
Politics
Ata Abu Rashta joined Hizb ut-TahrirHizb ut-Tahrir
Hizb ut-Tahrir is an international Sunni. pan-Islamic political organisation but keeps it open for all including shias,some of its beliefs are against sunni school of thought, whose goal is for all Muslim countries to unify as an Islamic state or caliphate ruled by Islamic law and with a caliph...
in the mid-1950s and worked closely with Taqiuddin an-Nabhani, founder of the party, and Abdul Qadeem Zallum who succeeded him after an-Nabhani's death in 1977. In the 1980s, Abu Rashta he was a leading member of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Jordan and was appointed its first official spokesperson.
Abu Rashta came to prominence in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
during the Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
when he convened press conferences, lectures and debates at public venues throughout the country. He debated the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait at the Jerusalem Mosque in Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
at which he delivered a lecture entitled The Neo-Crusader Assault on the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf. He was regularly detained by the Jordanian authorities.
In 1994, in an interview, Ata Abu Rashta said, "The establishment of the Caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
is now a general demand among Muslims, who yearn for this: the call for Islamic government
Islamic government
*For the states which call themselves Islamic republics, see Islamic Republic*For the book by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called Islamic Government, or Islamic Government: Guardianship of the Jurist, see Hokumat-e Islami : Velayat-e faqih ...
(the Caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
) is widespread in Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Pakistan, Algeria and so on. Before Hizb al-Tahrir launched its career the subject of the Caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
was unheard of. However, the party has succeeded in establishing its intellectual leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
, and now everyone has confidence in its ideas, and talks about it: this is clear from the media worldwide."
Abu Rashta was designated a prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience is a term defined in Peter Benenson's 1961 article "The Forgotten Prisoners" often used by the human rights group Amnesty International. It can refer to anyone imprisoned because of their race, religion, or political views...
by Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
after his detention by the Jordanian authorities in the 1990s. Abu Rashta was sentenced to three years in prison for an interview published in 1995 in the journal al-Hiwar. He was later imprisoned for a further six months for membership in an "unlicensed organisation."
Abu Rashta became the global leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir on April 13, 2003, following the death of Abdul Qadeem Zallum. Since assuming this position, Abu Rashta has launched his own website and has spoken at conferences in Indonesia, Pakistan, Yemen and Britain.
Published works
- Tayseer fi usool at-tafseer surah al-baqarah (2007)
- Economic crises - the reality and the perspective of Islam
- Tayseer al Wusool min al-Usool