Hizb regards integration as "dangerous" and says that British Muslims should "fight assimilation" into British society. It wants to create a global Islamic superstate, or "caliphate", initially in Muslim-majority countries and then across the rest of the world. It says that "those [Muslims] who believe in democracy are Kafir", or apostates. It orders all Muslims to keep apart from non-believers and boycott "corrupt" British elections and political processes.

its website previously displayed a leaflet urging Muslims to "kill [Jews] wherever you find them" and at a rally in London earlier this year, Imran Waheed, its chief media adviser in Britain, said that there could be "no peace" with Israel, calling on Muslims to "fight" a "jihad... in the way of Allah" against it.

Its anti-Semitism has resulted in the group being banned in Germany and on some British university campuses. After the bombings in London on July 7, 2005, Tony Blair, who was then prime minister, also promised to ban Hizb, describing it as "fanatical". A ban has not been introduced but the Tories have pledged to outlaw the group and the Home Office continues to regard it as an "organisation of concern". Instead of being proscribed they were able to hire the Society of Friends Meeting House for their conference in July, including a day devoted to the 'Muslima in the 21st century'.

The three schools - in Tottenham, north London, and Slough, Berks - are run by the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation, a registered charity. The foundation's lead trustee is Yusra Hamilton, a leading Hizb activist who is married to Taji Mustafa, the group's chief spokesman in Britain.

On their website, the schools say their "ultimate goal" and "foremost work" is the creation of an "Islamic personality" in children The creation of an "Islamic personality" is a key tenet of Hizb's ideology. The schools' history curriculum states that children are taught that "there must be one ruler of the khilafah [caliphate]". The schools' website says that "in the glorious history of Islam... the Sharia was the norm".

Mrs Hamilton is listed on the electoral roll as residing just around the corner from the Foundation's Tottenham school, with Mr Mustafa under his real name, Urutajirinere Fombo. Contacted by telephone, he confirmed his identity as Mr Mustafa and said that Hizb did not "run" the foundation, but added: "We would certainly approve of those in the Muslim community who seek to establish good Islamic schools."

Here he is speaking at the Al Quds day march on Saturday. The annual presence of Hizb ut-Tahrir is one of the reasons (the others are the promotion of terrorist organisations like Hizbollah and the general call to violence) that March for England and others have countered the demonstration for several years. Their efforts predate the formation of the EDL by at least 4 years.

The Shakhsiyah Foundation spokesman said the government money, from Whitehall's "Free Entitlement" and "Pathfinder" programmes, had been claimed by parents on behalf of the school. However, a spokesman for Haringey council, which administered the grant, said this was incorrect and that the foundation had applied for the money.

The Tottenham school's landlord, a moderate Muslim organisation, said it had serious reservations about its tenant. "They have a contract with us," said Serkan Yumakci, a spokesman for the landlord. "But if we had known then what we know now, things would be very different."

Outside a Victorian Gothic priory in Tottenham, which houses two of the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation's schools, boys spilt out at home-time in their royal blue uniform sweatshirts. Even the smallest girl wore the hijab.
"Hizb ut-Tahrir is not an extremist group," said one mother, Khadija. "They're people who want to stop the US domination of the Middle East."
Was it a good school? "It's a lovely school," she said.  "Because they love Islam." When the school realised there was a journalist outside, a teacher came to tell the parents not to talk to us. Some, however, ignored their orders.

"To be honest with you, I don't prefer this school," said one father. "They don't teach good English. Personally, I would say it's not good for integration."
"It is a good school," his daughter, aged about six, interrupted. Asked what she was taught, she replied: "Arabic."