Canadian media has reported that a member of the parliament from Quebec accepted a trip to the United Arab Emirates that was sponsored by the Muslim Association of Canada. According to the report:
Among the many junkets Canadian MPs accepted last year from foreign governments and various lobbies was one “cultural and economic exchange” to the United Arab Emirates taken by Bloc Quebecois MP Meili Faille. The $6,000 trip was sponsored by the Muslim Association of Canada.
The MAC appears to be one of the only organizations in the world that acknowledges its ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. According to the MAC website:
MAC’s roots are deeply enshrined in the message of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him). Its modern roots can be traced to the Islamic revival of the early twentieth century, culminating in the movement of the Muslim Brotherhood. This movement influenced Islamic activities, trends and intellectual discourse throughout the world including those of Muslims who came to Canada in search of freedom, education and better opportunities. MAC adopts and strives to implement Islam, as embodied in the Qur’an, and the teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and as understood in its contemporary context by the late Imam, Hassan Albanna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood. MAC regards this ideology as the best representation of Islam as delivered by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
In addition, a 2007 MAC webpage lists US Muslim Brotherhood leader and Canadian National Jamal Badawi as a director of the organization. Dr. Badawi is a leader in many of the most important organizations of the global Muslim Brotherhood including the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Council on American Islamic Relations (Canada), the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA), the Muslim American Society (MAS), and the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR). As previous posts have noted, recently released documents indicate that he was (and probably still is), a member of the leadership structure of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood. He can be characterized as one of the leading ideologues of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood and has traveled widely all over the world as a representative of the U.S. Muslim community. Dr. Badawi was also listed by US federal prosecutors as an unindicted co-conspriator in the Holy Land terrorism financing trial.
It should also be noted that the a course on Islamic Studies developed by the Edmonton Public schools with the assistance of MAC Chairman Saleh includes the most well-known work of Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi as well a work by Jamal Badawi. Mr. Saleh also holds several other positions including serving on the Edmonton Community Services Advisory Board.
Previous posts have reported on projects sponsored by the MAC including opposition to a proposed Islamic center in Edmonton and on the construction of a large mosque to be built in downtown Montreal and to be managed by the MAC.