Ottawa mosque's charitable status revoked for "activities that promote hate and intolerance"

Charities and Terrorist Financing

The Canada Revenue Agency has stripped the Ottawa Islamic Centre and Assalam Mosque of its charitable status for “activities that promote hate and intolerance” after audits raised concerns about some of the speakers the centre had invited. 

According to the CRA, one of the speakers has called women “deficient”, said that “Christians and Jews were enemies”, and said that “those who left the Islamic faith should be killed”. 

The CRA was also concerned that “radicalized individuals” had attended the mosque, including Ashton Larmond.

The auditors from CRA also alleged that the mosque had "provided resources to those not qualified to receive them, gave an “undue benefit” to one of its directors and failed to maintain proper books or file a tax return.

The revocation of charitable status will hinder the mosque's ability to raise funds, as they will not be able to issue tax receipts. However, the mosque is still able to obtain non-profit status and potentially remain exempt from taxes.  The lack of proper internal financial controls at the mosque is a common feature amongst charities that have their official status revoked, both in Canada and globally.