Auditors allege Canadian charity helped Hamas financier
In 2014, the government outlawed IRFAN-Canada as a terrorist entity. But MAC websites promoted IRFAN-Canada "after it was listed as a terrorist entity in Canada," the auditors alleged. The audit also said that some of MAC's "most prominent members, directors, and officials were either involved in IRFAN-Canada, or a network of charities that appear to have been used to propagate and fundraise for Hamas in Canada."
Based in Mississauga, Ont., MAC calls itself the "largest grassroots Muslim organization" in Canada, with chapters in 13 cities. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended one if its events in 2022, after the CRA had raised its concerns. Charity status allows groups to issue tax receipts to donors, so their contributions qualify as deductions. Last year alone, MAC also received more than $800,000 in federal funding to create summer jobs, according to the government website.