A new report is warning that Muslim Brotherhood-aligned networks have embedded themselves across the Canadian government, charities, and universities, raising concerns about the influence of Islamist organizations within the country’s democratic institutions.
The 195-page report, published by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), examines what it describes as “Islamist entryism” in Canada and identifies connections between Muslim Brotherhood-aligned organizations and institutions ranging from universities and student groups to political advocacy and charitable groups.
“Canada’s challenge is not simply the presence of individual extremist voices or isolated institutional weakness,” Charles Asher Small, ISGAP’s executive director, told Fox News Digital. “The report maps how interconnected ideological networks acquire legitimacy, institutional access, public funding, political influence, and protection from scrutiny.”
The report, titled “Assault on Democratic Values and Principles: How Islamist Entryism Weakens Civil Society and Higher Education in Canada,” argues that the organizations it examined should not be viewed as isolated entities, but as components of a broader network operating across multiple sectors.
One of the report’s principal areas of focus is the Muslim Association of Canada, a large nonprofit organization based in Mississauga that operates mosques, community centers, schools, and educational programs. ISGAP alleges that leaders of the organization have been “directly or indirectly” associated with the Muslim Brotherhood and argues that those relationships warrant scrutiny of the organization’s activities and institutional influence.
The Muslim Association of Canada disputes the allegations.
“The ISGAP report is nothing more than recycled Islamophobic tropes dressed up as research,” the organization told Fox News Digital. “It is a biased, unsubstantiated hit piece that relies on discredited allegations that were themselves challenged by the Ontario Superior Court for their apparent bias.”
The organization also said that a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) audit had been completed and that “preliminary questions raised around any links to the Muslim Brotherhood were dismissed from the CRA’s final conclusion.”
The CRA previously raised concerns about potential Muslim Brotherhood connections during an audit of the Muslim Association of Canada. The organization denied the allegations and accused the agency of “systemic bias” and Islamophobia. The CRA ultimately did not revoke the organization’s charitable status.
The report divides what it describes as the Brotherhood-linked strategy into four overlapping areas: narrative development, institutional embedding, political mobilization, and what ISGAP calls “legal framework manipulation.”
According to ISGAP, the first involves shaping public discourse surrounding Islam, Islamism, the Palestinian cause, Israel, and accusations of Islamophobia. The second involves establishing connections across mosques, charities, schools, universities, student organizations and advocacy groups. The third involves translating those institutional relationships into political activity, including coalition building, relationships with policymakers, and electoral mobilization. The fourth involves the use of litigation, procedural challenges, and reputational pressure to respond to scrutiny.
ISGAP points to the “Vote Palestine” campaign during the 2025 Canadian election cycle, which it says secured endorsements from 344 candidates across four political parties.
The report also examines relationships among Muslim Students’ Association chapters, Students for Justice in Palestine, and the Palestinian Youth Movement. The Muslim Students’ Association was established in 1963 by individuals associated with the Muslim Brotherhood and is referenced in a 1991 document known as the Brotherhood’s “Explanatory Memorandum.” MSA National says it now has chapters at more than 600 colleges and universities across North America.
ISGAP alleges that the organizations have collaborated and references support and resources provided by American Muslims for Palestine, whose leadership has included individuals associated with organizations identified as part of a Hamas-support network during the federal prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation. The report also examines foreign funding of Canadian universities, particularly funding connected to Qatar.
ISGAP argues that the combination of foreign funding, university partnerships, and organizations it identifies as part of the Muslim Brotherhood’s broader ideological network warrants greater transparency and scrutiny. Additionally, the group called on Canada to coordinate with the United States in addressing what it describes as Muslim Brotherhood-linked networks operating across North America.
The findings come as the Muslim Brotherhood itself has faced increasing scrutiny from the U.S. government. In January, the Treasury Department designated the Egyptian and Jordanian branches of the organization as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. In July, the administration sanctioned a senior Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood official whom Treasury accused of helping finance Hamas’ military wing.
“The Trump administration will relentlessly pursue terrorists and those who finance them,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote. “Whether operating under the guise of charities, businesses, or underground financial networks, those who enable Hamas will be exposed, sanctioned, and held accountable.”
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