FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Major study maps the institutional embedding of Muslim Brotherhood-aligned networks across federal institutions, electoral politics, civil society, and universities

NEW YORK, NY — August 24th, 2026 — The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) today released a major new report examining how Islamist influence networks are operating across Canadian democratic institutions, civil society, electoral politics, and higher education.

The report, Assault on Democratic Values and Principles: How Islamist Entryism Weakens Civil Society and Higher Education in Canada argues that Muslim Brotherhood-aligned activity in Canada should not be understood as a series of isolated organizations or incidents. Instead, it identifies a structured transnational strategy involving ideological entrenchment, institutional embedding, narrative control, political mobilization, and legal and reputational protection.

Building on ISGAP’s previous research into the Muslim Brotherhood’s strategic entryism into Western societies, including the United States, this report examines the Canadian case as part of a wider model documented across North America and Europe.

“Canada’s challenge is not simply the presence of individual extremist voices or isolated institutional weakness. The report maps how interconnected ideological networks acquire legitimacy, institutional access, public funding, political influence, and protection from scrutiny,” said Dr Charles Asher Small, Executive Director of ISGAP. “Canadian democracy is built on openness, robust notions of citizenship, pluralism, civil liberties, and public trust. These principles must not be exploited to shield foreign influence, ideological entryism, antisemitism, or efforts to weaken democratic accountability. Canada requires a coordinated response based on transparency, institutional due diligence, and national security awareness and enforcement.”

The report identifies four central areas of concern:

  • Ideological and strategic foundations: The report traces a progression from the writings of Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna through Sayyid Qutb and Yusuf al-Qaradawi, arguing that participation in Western political, legal, civic, and educational institutions has been developed as a means of achieving gradual ideological and institutional influence. It also examines foundational planning texts, including “The Project” and the 1991 “Explanatory Memorandum,” which describe long-term expansion through social, political, educational, and financial structures.
  • Federal entryism and electoral mobilization: The report examines networks operating within and around federal institutions, including the Muslim Federal Employees Network and engagement by the former Office of the Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia. It also analyses organizations including The Canadian Muslim Vote and the Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council, which have focused electoral activity on dozens of competitive federal constituencies. During the 2025 election, a coordinated “Vote Palestine” campaign secured endorsements from 344 candidates across four political parties.
  • Civil society and regulatory oversight: The report finds that Canadian regulatory scrutiny is episodic and followed by coordinated legal, political, academic, and communications responses. It highlights the Canada Revenue Agency’s examination of the Muslim Association of Canada which issued preliminary findings in 2021 (and a final decision in 2023), raising concerns relating to foreign political activity, financial irregularities, and organizational links. It also presents cases involving MAC (Muslim Association of Canada) and ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) Canada in which regulatory findings relating to financial irregularities and links to extremist networks resulted in compliance agreements or financial penalties rather than the loss of charitable status. The report also identifies inconsistencies between regulatory concerns and the continued provision of public funding.
  • Higher education: The report examines how several Canadian universities are environments in which foreign funding, academic legitimacy, student mobilization, faculty activism, and institutional decision-making converge. It documents Qatari-linked research and academic relationships at institutions including the University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University, and the University of Waterloo. At Waterloo alone, the report identifies more than C$3.8 million in Qatari state-linked research funding, with total associated investment estimated to exceed C$10.5 million when scholarships and sponsored students are included. The report contrasts the continuation of these relationships with decisions to terminate or reconsider Israeli academic partnerships following sustained activist pressure.

The study also demonstrates the absence of a comprehensive Canadian disclosure system for foreign funding in higher education. Unlike the United States, Canada does not require universities to report foreign gifts and contracts through a national framework. As a result, the financial terms of partnerships, intellectual property arrangements, research-access provisions, and agreements involving institutional or student data frequently remain outside public scrutiny.

The report contends that Qatar plays a particularly significant role as a source of financing, institutional support, and narrative amplification. It identifies Qatari-linked engagement across research fields including energy infrastructure, secure communications, smart-grid systems, carbon technologies, and other areas with potential dual-use implications.

ISGAP calls on the Canadian Government to coordinate its approach to monitor and confront the entryism of Muslim Brotherhood-linked networks with the United States Federal Government. The report recommends that Public Safety Canada and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service investigate chapters and affiliated networks connected to Canada, beginning with the Lebanese, Egyptian, Jordanian, and Sudanese branches already examined by the United States. It also calls for formal coordination with U.S. authorities and for Canadian listings where independent investigations substantiate the relevant findings.

The report further recommends a national foreign-funding disclosure regime covering universities, charities, research bodies, and civil society organizations, including contractual terms affecting curriculum, research, intellectual property, and data access. It also calls for risk-based reviews of international academic partnerships, stronger national security due diligence in research collaboration, and greater transparency around campus organizations and external relationships.

ISGAP also urges stronger oversight of charities and non-profits, tighter accreditation standards, clearer limits on the use of anti-discrimination frameworks to obstruct legitimate scrutiny, and increased support for independent research into foreign influence, antisemitism, extremism, and institutional resilience.

Finally, the report calls for a structured regulatory review of the Canadian Islamic College, including its governance, funding, curriculum, institutional relationships, and external engagement. The full report, Assault on Democratic Values and Principles: How Islamist Entryism Weakens Civil Society and Higher Education in Canada, is available at https://isgap.org/wpcontent/uploads/2026/08/An-Assault-on-Canadian-Democratic-Values-and-Principles.pdf.

About ISGAP

The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy is an independent, international research institute committed to the academic study of antisemitism, extremist ideologies, foreign influence, and the forces affecting democratic societies and institutions. ISGAP produces research, educational programs, and policy analysis for scholars, government officials, civil society leaders, and the wider public.