Islamic group at risk of terrorist designation scraps conference

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A planned conference by a radical Islamic group that caused outrage and security concerns has been cancelled a day after the federal government said it was considering declaring the organization a terrorist group.

Late on Monday, federal minister of Public Safety David McGuinty issued a statement saying Hizb ut-Tahrir’s history of “glorifying violence and promoting antisemitism and extremist ideology” and supporting terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah “are entirely contrary to Canadian values,” and asked them to scrap their conference, scheduled for this weekend, while security and intelligence agencies assessed whether the group should be listed as an official terrorist entity.

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About eight hours later, a message was posted to the conference’s Facebook page: “Hizb ut Tahrir Canada hereby announces, with regret, the cancellation of the Khilafah Conference 2025. This decision was necessitated by circumstances that were beyond our reasonable control.” Promotional material about the conference and its agenda of speakers have been scrubbed.

The group’s Khilafah Conference 2025 was promoting a revolutionary ideology calling on governments to be overthrown and replaced with a unitary, authoritarian Muslim Caliphate where everyone lives under strict Islamic Shariah law.

The conference plans brought stern condemnation from civic leaders as well as Jewish and Islamic groups.

The Global Imams Council, an independent charity and NGO that says it adheres to mainstream Islamic teachings, had sent a letter to Public Safety Canada warning of the conference and the organizing group, calling it “extremist” and “radical” and would “jeopardize decades of progress made by Canadian Muslims in promoting inclusivity and dialogue.”

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“Its ideology not only threatens national unity but also isolates Muslim communities and endangers vulnerable youth.”

News of the cancelation was welcomed by the council, saying in a statement to National Post: “We appreciate the attention given to our concerns and the responsible actions taken by the Canadian authorities.”

Many major Jewish advocacy and antisemitism groups had also called for the conference to be shut down and the group to be declared a terrorist entity. Several officials for the groups said its cancellation was good news.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, a Canadian advocacy group, had started a petition calling for Ottawa to cancel the conference. Michelle Stock, CIJA’s Ontario vice president, said Tuesday more than 13,000 Canadians had signed the petition

“This is important progress in keeping Canadians safe. We are relieved that this conference isn’t happening, but we also know that the fight against extremism cannot stop,” Stock said. “We will continue to urge the government of Canada to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir as an illegal terrorist organization, as is the case in the UK and Germany.”

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B’nai Brith Canada said: “This dangerous event, organized by an extremist group banned in 13 countries, sought to undermine the very values of tolerance, inclusion, and democracy that define Canada. Thanks to swift and decisive action, the voices of hate and division will not find a platform here.”

Michael Levitt, president of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center cautioned that cancellation of the conference is not enough to protect the community: “The Canadian government must take the necessary measures to list this organization as a terror group under Canadian law, ensuring that it will never again have the opportunity to propagate its vile, extremist ideology in our country.”

Hizb ut Tahrir Canada has not responded to several recent requests for comment from National Post. 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.

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Hizb ut Tahrir Canada is a branch of a strict international organization, Hizb ut-Tahrir, that is already banned in several countries, including Britain, Germany and many Islamic-majority nations.

Hizb ut-Tahrir’s international 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.

Their Khilafah Conference 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.

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The most recent online promotions for the conference, however, continued to list its location as being at a secret facility in Mississauga.

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

The listing of an entity under the terrorism act means the group’s property can be seized or forfeited; the group’s finances and assets are frozen; and banks handling the group’s finances cannot dispose or disperse its property.

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

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