A Canadian blog has reported on the construction of a large mosque to be built in downtown Montreal to be managed by the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC). According to the translated report:
As you know, a Muslim group including two branches of the Muslim Student Association (MSA) from McGill University and Concordia University plans to build a large mosque in downtown Montreal, in a building originally owned by the Grey Nuns. On May 1, in a another text on the same issue, I was wondering about the version of Islam that would be promoted there . A moderate Islam or a political Islam? Well, I have my answer. And at at the risk of being considered a paranoid by naive multiculturalists, the news is not good. As stated by my colleague Mathieu Turbide two days ago, the future Islamic Center (which will include a mosque, a library, conference rooms and a Koranic school) will be managed by the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC), a Muslim group based in Ottawa. For those unaware of it, the MAC worships Hassan el-Banna , the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood , an organization considered by many observers (including the website Point de Bascule (Tipping Point) as the spearhead of Islamic fundamentalism in Europe…The foundation behind the proposed mosque has raised 2.1 million dollars. Where does the money come from ? No idea.
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.