Feds call on Islamic group to cancel alarming Ontario conference

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The federal government is calling on members of a controversial Islamic group to cancel their conference scheduled for this weekend while Canada’s security and intelligence agencies decide if it should be listed as an official terrorist entity.

A public outcry from civic leaders and Jewish organizations have attacked plans by Hizb ut Tahrir Canada to resurrect its annual Khilafah Conference, which calls for governments to be overthrown to invoke a Muslim caliphate where everyone lives under Islamic Shariah law.

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Ottawa has now added a federal reprimand to the list of concerns over the agenda and ideology of the group, which is a branch of a strict international organization that is already banned in several countries.

“Reports of the upcoming Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) conference, scheduled for January 18, 2025 in Hamilton, Ontario are deeply concerning. Hizb ut-Tahrir has a documented history of glorifying violence and promoting antisemitism and extremist ideology,” David J. McGuinty, the new minister of Public Safety, and Rachel Bendayan, associate minister of Public Safety, said in a statement posted on social media.

“Its celebration of attacks on innocent civilians, including October 7th, and its support for banned terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah are entirely contrary to Canadian values of peace, inclusion, and respect for diversity. We unequivocally condemn their activities and the holding of such a conference — and call on the organizers to cancel their booking.”

“We have been assured that law enforcement agencies, including the RCMP, are monitoring the event closely and that all appropriate Canadian laws, including those pertaining to hate speech, will be enforced. Further, we can confirm that our security and intelligence agencies are currently assessing Hizb it-Tahrir (sic) for listing as a terrorist entity under Canadian law,” the statement continued.

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A spokesman from Hizb ut Tahrir Canada could not immediately be reached for comment Monday evening. (The Canadian group often does not use a hyphen in its name like the international group usually does.)

The organization previously denied it was a public danger and said it was not involved in terrorist violence.

“Hizb ut Tahrir categorically rejects the use of violence or material means in its methodology. The accusations linking the party to terrorism, extremism and violent activities are fabrications aimed at tarnishing its reputation,” the group’s previous statement said.

The Canadian group’s goals and ideology, however, has been highlighted for more than year by National Post.

The international organization’s detailed manifesto, obtained by National Post, bluntly outlines a starkly anti-democratic, totalitarian, misogynistic, intractably monotheistic, militantly antisemitic worldview, where unprovoked jihad is a routine duty, Islamic law is paramount, and Israel must be exterminated — not even “a square inch” of the Jewish state can exist without constant war.

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The group’s goal is listed as ensuring “Islam encapsulates the world.”

Their Khilafah Conference planned for Canada was abruptly cancelled last year after its sister organization was declared a terrorist entity in Britain. The plan to bring it back in 2025 brought strong opposition.

It was originally planned for Mississauga, just outside Toronto, but relocated after the city’s mayor was vocal in opposition to it. The new location was announced to be in Hamilton — although specifically where was kept secret. Hamilton officials have similarly decried the conference.

(Recent online promotions for the conference, however, continue to list its location as being at a secret location in Mississauga.)

Several major Jewish organizations and antisemitism advocacy groups have called on officials to shut the conference down and some urged the government to list the group a terrorist entity.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs has been running an online petition asking for government action against the group. CIJA said Friday more than 10,000 Canadians had signed it.

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Neither the ministry of Public Safety nor the minister had responded to requests for more details on their announcement and plans for handling the conference or the terror listing investigation.

The listing of an entity under the terrorism act means the group’s property can be seized or forfeited; freezes the group’s finances and assets; and prevents banks and brokerages handling the group’s finances to dispose or disperse its property.

It is also a crime to knowingly participate in or contribute to a listed entity’s activities and a terror designation means any prosecution related to a listed entity does not require the Crown to first prove it is linked to terrorism. Charitable status may be withdrawn and there could be immigration jeopardy for a non-citizen’s involvement.

The law allows the government to create a list of official terrorist entities if it is “satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the entity has knowingly carried out, attempted to carry out, participated in or facilitated a terrorist activity; or has knowingly acted on behalf of, at the direction of or in association with an entity that has knowingly carried out, attempted to carry out, participated in or facilitated a terrorist activity.”

The statement from McGuinty and Bendayan concluded: “Our government is resolute in its efforts to fight antisemitism and extremism in all its forms. We will continue to work with law enforcement and community partners to ensure the safety and security of all Canadians.”

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