At a Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) convention held in Toronto on May 18, 2026, a youth session titled "Visionaries of the Ummah: Youth Activism Lab" took place, targeting high school and university students. The session aimed to encourage participants to consider how they could help revive the ummah, the global community of Muslims united by faith beyond borders. During the event, Canadian-Egyptian activist Khaled Al-Qazzaz praised the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, and at least one attendee publicly expressed a desire for the community to be "Jew free," with likely more sharing similar sentiments.
Details of the Session
The session was documented by Juno News reporter Melanie Bennett, who provided video, audio, and images to the National Post. Al-Qazzaz, who holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Toronto, spoke as a guest. He is the former executive director of the Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council and participated in the 2011 Egyptian revolution, later serving as a senior aide to Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated president of Egypt, from 2012 until Morsi's removal in a 2013 military coup.
Al-Qazzaz opened the session by telling the Muslim students that part of his work involves "understanding the situation for ummah" and how they can be part of its revival. He mentioned that over the past decade, his think-tank has been analyzing conditions within the ummah and "seeing signs of transition between civilizations." He urged the students to dream big, saying, "If we're not imagining the revival of the ummah, then who will do it?"
Role Models and Ideology
Al-Qazzaz referenced Saladin (1137–1193), a Muslim leader who united forces in Syria and Egypt, defeated Christians at the Battle of Hattin, recaptured Jerusalem, and fought against the Third Crusade. He then asked for a show of hands from those who had been thinking about the revival of the ummah, responding with "Excellent. I'm glad we have a few people."
Furthermore, Al-Qazzaz referenced the Prophet Muhammad, who spoke of a mujaddid—a renewer of the faith who would appear every 100 years and, sometimes through violent jihad, renew the religion by cleansing it of impurities and restoring its former glory. Al-Qazzaz told the youth that one of them could be the mujaddid or part of a group that renews the faith. He asked whether they would be "part of the driving force" or, "God forbid," among those "taking us back." He rejected the idea that high-school students are merely "kids," insisting that once a person reaches physical and mental maturity, they are fully accountable to Allah.
Controversial Statements
The phrase "Jew free" appeared in a cloud bubble submitted by at least one member of the youth session when asked what kind of community they wanted. This has sparked concerns about the spread of antisemitic attitudes and extremist ideologies among young Muslims in Canada. The session has been criticized for promoting Muslim Brotherhood propaganda and indoctrinating youth with divisive and hateful ideas.
The federal government is now facing calls to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization and to bar lobbying groups that promote or praise it. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges of combating extremism and ensuring that community events promote tolerance and inclusivity rather than hatred.
