The International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) has announced that together with the Canadian Muslim Brotherhood it is funding an Islamic studies program at a Canadian college. According to the IIIT report:
Western Canadian University Introduces Islamic Studies Monday, December 20, 2010 :: 27 Views “The Faculty of Theology at Huron University College, an independent and historically Anglican liberal arts institution affiliated with the University of Western Ontario and an affiliate member of the Toronto School of Theology, invites applications for an appointment in Islamic Studies with competency to teach in our undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs,” says an announcement in the Academy of Religion’s website. The new faculty will teach courses on “introductions to the Qu’ran and the sources and practices surrounding its interpretation, surveys of Islamic thought and history, and elective seminars.” He or she will also participate in Huron’s Centre for Abrahamic Religions, “which offers workshops, educational programs and local initiatives to increase the mutual understanding of Judaism, Christianity and Islam”. This expansion of the Huron’s program in the study of religions in a “historically Christian, but increasingly inter-religious, environment” is the result of a cooperative venture among the College, the local Muslim community and the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT). Under this agreement, IIIT has agreed to match funds raised by the Muslim Association of Canada and the London Muslim Mosque, both based in London, Ontario, Canada.
According a Hudson Institute report, IIIIT was founded in the U.S. in 1980 by U.S. Muslim Brotherhood leaders including Jamal Barzinji and Hisham Altalib who wished to promote the Islamization of Knowledge as conceived by Al-Faruqi and who were also early leaders of ISNA. IIIT was associated with the now defunct SAAR Foundation, a network of Islamic organizations located in Northern Virginia that was raided by the Federal government in March 2002 in connection with the financing of terrorism and both organizations had been under investigation at that time by the U.S. Justice Department until at least mid 2007. The organization appeared to have withdrawn from public view following the 2002 raids but seems to be enjoying a renaissance of late. IIIT has a network of affiliates located in Europe, Africa, the MIddle East, and Asia. Although little is known about the activities of these IIIT affiliates, recent posts have discussed plans by IIIT to construct colleges in Bosnia and Lebanon.
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.