As a Canadian institution pro-actively working with North American national security officials since 2008 to counter extremism, promote pluralistic values and empower women, AlMaghrib Institute congratulates the Senate’s Standing Committee on National Security and Defense for its contribution to safeguarding the Canadian people’s safety and values.
Unfortunately as part of its Interim Report on Countering the Terrorist Threat in Canada, the committee published some inaccurate information on AlMaghrib Institute. The Senate Committee never contacted AlMaghrib Institute to verify the validity of the false accusations made by a committee witness quoted in the report, nor invited AlMaghrib Institute to directly offer testimony before the committee on its extensive experience advancing Canadian values and working with Canadian national security agencies to counter extremism threats to the homeland.
All the accusations leveled against AlMaghrib Institute quoted in the committee’s interim report by its sectarian witness were previously found by a Canadian Judge to be “falsehoods” that were “made with malice.” AlMaghrib Institute is the largest Islamic educational body in the western world with a student population of approximately one hundred thousand. AlMaghrib Institute’s student body reached its large size because it teaches traditional mainstream Islamic Sciences, not Wahhabism or any other version.
AlMaghrib Institute takes its responsibility as a major Canadian Islamic organization seriously and has expended significant financial and human resources to build interfaith cooperation and community partnerships with Canadian security agencies. All AlMaghrib Institute classes are held in welcoming public academic environments, where the free exchange of ideas is encouraged, and often include attendees from other faith communities. AlMaghrib Institute has no relationship with overseas government, whether they preach Wahhabism or not, and does not receive funding from overseas governmental or non-governmental sources promoting Wahhabism.
In addition to our partnership with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and many other North American security agencies since 2008, AlMaghrib Institute’s instructors have been publicly recognized for most effectively spearheading the counter ideological fight against radicalization to the point where ISIS/ISIL has declared death threats against them.
It is AlMaghrib Institute’s sincere desire to see the Committee correct its Interim Report’s inaccuracies on AlMaghrib Institute, and would welcome an opportunity to advise the committee of our extensive experience promoting Canadian values and helping to counter extremist ideologies.