Islamophobia? REALLY?!!!

"Adopting the religious ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood is not the same thing as supporting the political ideology of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood."

"[The revenue agency 's Review and Analysis Division] conflated two entirely separate concepts."

"[As a registered charity, Muslim Association of Canada understands that it is subject to audit by the revenue agency, but it is] not subject to an audit that holds it to a different standard than audits of other religious charities."

"Put bluntly, the current [revenue agency] audit is so tainted by Charter infringements that is is unsalvageable."

Muslim Association of Canada appeal to Ontario Superior Court of Justice

 

"[The association, known as MAC] has not raised credible evidence that it was unfairly targeted by the Canada Revenue Agency [CRA], nor that in conducting the audit the CRA treated the Muslim Association of Canada [MAC] any differently than it would another charity."

Federal Attorney General submission

The Canada Revenue Agency's Ottawa headquarters. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

It is the aim of the Muslim Association of Canada [MAC] to persuade the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to put a stop to Canada's revenue agency [CRA] in its audit of the MAC, accusing the CRA of violation of Charter Rights guarantees of equality and freedom of religion, expression and association. The charity accuses Canada Revenue Agency of systematic bias and Islamophobia.

 

The currently registered charity's lawyers plan to argue at a hearing that the audit, initiated in 2015 is discriminatory against Muslims. On the federal government's part, the case should be dismissed on the basis that the revenue agency's selection of the association to undergo an audit and examination to follow do not represent an infringement on Charter rights.

 

The MAC bills itself as a promoter of community service, education and youth empowerment, its mosques, schools and community centres in monthly use by 150,000 Canadians. The Review and Analysis Division of the revenue agency's charities directorate is currently conducting the audit. It is a division that has connections with national security agencies in carrying out such audits. 

 

Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier requested of taxpayers; ombudsperson Francois Boileau to conduct a systemic review of the concerns from Muslim-led charities regarding their treatment by the revenue agency. Citing obstacles in accessing relevant information, Boileau was unable to examine the issue "deeply enough" in assessing the existence of bias in application of the revenue agency's processes.

 

The federal attorney general in a written submission to the court, spoke of the revenue agency's preliminary audit findings which identified "several serious issues" relating to the Muslim Association of Canada's non-compliance with its charitable registration obligations, including involvement in political activities of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, buying considerable real estate, providing support to an organization listed as a terrorist entity, and issuing improper donation receipts.

 

The MAC has initiated the Charter challenge, having provided "a detailed response" to the revenue agency, yet to issue a final decision on the audit. "Realizing that the die is already cast by a severely flawed audit process" led the association to its challenge. Conveniently overlooking the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood is recognized as a terrorist group and outlawed in Egypt itself as well as in Saudi Arabia. The Hamas terrorist group in Gaza developed as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.

 

According to the charity the government is at fault by taking an incorrect approach from the beginning through identifying the risk of terrorist financing with minority groups labelled as foreign, Muslim organizations in particular.  "With such a starting point it is hardly surprising, although deeply disappointing, that Muslim Canadians are all painted with the same brush and an organization like MAC that runs mosques and schools is regarded as inherently suspect because its membership belongs to the same religious group as organizations like al-Qaeda".