January 16, 2026
OTTAWA – B’nai Brith Canada is urging the Federal Government to designate as terrorist entities three overseas chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood, which are alleged to be implicated in financing Hamas’ terrorist operations.
“Canada has long understood that democratic societies endure only when they draw firm lines against movements that organize, finance, and legitimize violence,” B’nai Brith Canada wrote in a letter Friday to the Hon. Gary Anandasangaree, the Minister of Public Safety.
The letter cites reports that the Muslim Brotherhood’s Lebanese, Egyptian and Jordanian branches have engaged in material support for Hamas, which Canada lists as a terrorist organization. Under Canadian law, the Government has reasonable grounds to proscribe any entity that wilfully participates, or attempts to participate, in terrorist activity.
If Canada takes this step, its policy will mirror that of the United States, which, earlier this month, designated as distinct terrorist entities each of the three individual chapters of the organization. B’nai Brith Canada has launched a public letter-writing campaign, in addition to its letter to the Minister of Public Safety, to persuade the Federal Government to act.
A pan-Sunni Islamist movement, the Muslim Brotherhood originated in Egypt and operates a network of affiliates throughout the Middle East. Its leaders seized power in Egypt during the mid-2010s Arab Spring, although the organization has since been banned in most Arab states, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
This past week, Argentina joined the list of countries that have designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group.
“[A] terrorist designation is not merely a technical instrument,” B’nai Brith Canada’s letter contends. “It is a statement of responsibility by the state, affirming that political violence and its enablers have no protected place within our legal or civic order. We urge the Government of Canada to exercise that responsibility.”
Research demonstrates that the Muslim Brotherhood has a global reach, with documented ties to organizations in the European Union and beyond.
“Listing the Muslim Brotherhood’s known terrorist branches in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt is only the first step,” said Simon Wolle, B’nai Brith Canada’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our Government must be vigilant and investigate any threat the Muslim Brotherhood may pose to Canada’s national security.”