Canada

Report alleges Muslim Brotherhood infiltrating Canadian institutions, fomenting antisemitism

A new study claims the group is using charities and universities to push a transnational agenda and influence politics.

By Elise Tremblay, Editor-in-Chief
October 19, 2026

A new study alleges the Muslim Brotherhood is using Canadian non-profits and universities to advance a transnational ideological agenda. The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy published a 200-page report arguing the group and others are fostering antisemitism through pro-Palestinian activism and rhetoric against Islamophobia. It claims organizations are funded through sophisticated channels linked to Qatar and have embedded themselves in major universities. "Under the radar, Canada is being infiltrated," said Charles Small, the institute's founder and director.

The report describes a strategy of "entryism," where the group seeks to change institutions from within. Small said Canada's multicultural ideals and immigration policies make it vulnerable to such efforts. It alleges charities and advocacy groups promote transnational interests under the cover of inclusivity, Palestinian solidarity or fighting Islamophobia. "The Muslim Brotherhood manipulates and uses these democratic principles and our cultural institutions in a way that allows them to enter into our society, to enter into higher education, to enter into the Muslim community, to create mosques and civic organizations that are radicalized," Small said.

Two organizations named in the report are the Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council and The Canadian-Muslim Vote. The study claims these groups mobilize Muslim voters by targeting 60 to 80 federal ridings where the Muslim population could sway election results, backing candidates based on their positions on Palestine and Islamophobia. The executive director of CMPAC, Khaled al-Qazzaz, previously served as foreign affairs secretary to former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi. The report also notes a 2024 filing by TCMV lists a board member who once led another Canadian organization with alleged past ties to the Brotherhood.

CMPAC rejected the allegations in a statement to the National Post. "The ISGAP report lacks credibility and is full of biased claims that makes it more of an Islamophobic propaganda piece than research," the organization said. It described itself as a non-profit that advocates for civil liberties and against Islamophobia in Canada. A spokesperson said CMPAC is very concerned about rising antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate, and operates solely on Canadian funding from individuals, grants and event sponsorships with no foreign money. The organization provided background on al-Qazzaz, stating he worked for one year in Egypt's first democratically-elected government on human rights and foreign policy. He served as Morsi's foreign affairs minister before being arrested and imprisoned in 2013 with others aligned with that government. Al-Qazzaz was never charged but spent nine months in Cairo's Tora Prison before returning to Canada in 2016.

Legal counsel for TCMV also responded to the report. Lawyer Jeff Saikaley said in an email that TCMV has sent a Notice of Libel to ISGAP demanding a retraction and apology. "TCMV will consider any republication of these allegations to be defamatory and will take appropriate legal action should this occur," said Saikaley, a partner at Caza Saikaley. The organization's website states it is a national, non-partisan charity that empowers Canadian Muslims through civic education and engagement without endorsing parties or telling people how to vote.

The study follows a previous ISGAP report on U.S. institutions and a call to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. The movement began in Egypt in the 1920s with the goal of establishing Islamic values as a societal foundation. Nations including Egypt and Saudi Arabia have banned the group and labelled it a terrorist organization, and Canadian lawmakers have faced domestic pressure to do the same. Researchers in France and authorities in Britain have expressed similar concerns about the group's influence and tactics.

With files from National Post