The ‘party’ was founded in 1953 by the Islamic Qadi (judge), Taqiuddin al-Nabhani. Strictly speaking, or speaking in any manner whatsoever, it is not a political party because, as HT itself says: Its formation, in 1953, is easily understood when one takes into account the fact that many Arabs at the time believed that their countries were verging on being utter shit. Who made these Arab countries that way? It was, according to Islamists of all stripes, the kafir colonialists.