Open Letter to the Prime Minister on the CRA Review of Muslim charities

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau:

In the aftermath of the 2021 National Islamophobia Summit, we were heartened to see your commitment to ensure a review of the CRA’s auditing practices of Muslim charities. We warned, however, that the review would need to be comprehensive and that there would need to be transparent.

Unfortunately, we write to you today to suggest that the above review is inherently flawed.

We, the undersigned, representing Muslim-led organizations across the country, are writing to you today to express our concerns in light of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman’s statement before the Senate Committee on Human Rights on November 21, 2022 about the review of systemic racism at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The Ombudsman, Mr. François Boileau, made clear in his remarks that the review was at an “impasse” because his office is unable to access requisite disclosure from the CRA to be able to complete the review in a meaningful manner. This lack of access, according to the Ombudsman, is due in part to the lack of transparency in matters related to national security.

Minister Lebouthillier asked for this review after years of community advocacy and the release of the 2021 report by the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) and the University of Toronto that identified potential Islamophobia and racism in how the CRA carries out audits that are motivated by national security interests. The advent of the Ombudsman’s review was a welcomed step to address systemic racism at the Canada Revenue Agency. However we raised concerns, at the outset, and in many subsequent meetings, that the review must be able to address the intersection of national security and CRA audits of charities – an intersection that is central to the concerns that community members have been raising.

In particular, the NCCM and U of T report identified Canada’s Risk-based Assessment model to anti-terrorism financing as well as approaches to counter radicalization as central features of the CRA audits examined. If the Ombudsman’s office is unable to duly assess how these national security imperatives intersect with CRA audit practices, then an examination of Islamophobia and racism in these practices would be futile.

We ask that the government of Canada invest the appropriate powers in this review that will have the ability to access and address the inter-agency work that has led to unfair targeting of Muslim-led charities.

In particular, we recommend that:

1.     A review body be established alongside the Ombudsman that brings together the Canada Revenue Agency, the Department of Finance, and Public Safety for a fulsome examination of systemic Islamophobia and racism;

2.     Requisite clearances and legislative frameworks be addressed at the outset such that the review can be completed with rigour and integrity in a timely manner; and

3.     Suspend the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) Review and Analysis Division (RAD) pending a real review of Canada’s Risk-Based Assessment model and its National Strategy to combat extremism and radicalization.

Sincerely,

Al Nadwa Educational islamic Centre

Al Rashid Mosque

Altaqwa Academy Foundation

Anatolia Islamic Centre

Bosnian Islamic Center of Hamilton

British Columbia Museums Association

Canadian Council of Imams

Canadian Council of Indian Muslims

Canadian Council of Muslim Women

Canadian Muslim Civil Liberties Association

Dar Alsunnah Institute

Forum Musulman Canadien/Canadian Muslim Forum (FMC-CMF)

Foundation for a Path Forward

Fraser Mussala

Hilm

Human Concern International

ICNA Canada

Imam Mahdi Islamic Centre

International Muslim Organization of Toronto

Islamic Association of North West Calgary

Islamic Centre of Southwest Ontario

Islamic Community Center

Islamic Relief Canada

Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri Association of Edmonton (ISIA)

Islamic Society of Ajax

Islamic Society of Kingston

Islamic Society of Markham

Islamic Society of Toronto

Jaffari Community Centre

Jerrahi Sufi Order of Canada

Justice for All Canada

Kanata Muslim Association

London Muslim Mosque

MAC Vancouver Center

Manitoba Islamic Association

MarkazulIslam

Mashed Al Rayyan

Masjid Al-Salam

Masjid AlHakim

Masjid Darul Iman

Masjid Rahmatul-lil-Aalameen ﷺ

McMaster Ahlulbayt Islamic Society

Muslim Advisory Council of Canada Muslim Association of Canada

Muslim Association of Canada

Muslim Associations of Newfoundland and Labrador

Muslim Neighbour Nexus

Muslims of Alliston

Muslims of Dufferin

Muslims of Shelburne Centre

National Council of Canadian Muslims

Nisa Homes

North American Muslim Foundation

North London Islamic Centre

Olive Tree Foundation

Queen’s University Muslim Student Association

Relieve Humanity International

Rohingya Centre of Canada

Sabeel Muslim Youth and Community Center

SALAM Project

Scarborough Muslim Association

Sheridan Muslim Students Association

Simon Fraser University Thaqalayn Muslim Association

Tamilnadu Multicultural Association of Canada (TMAC)

Tawheed Community Centre

Thaqalayn Muslim Association OTU

Thaqalayn Muslim Association York University

The Canadian-Muslim Vote

The Ottawa Muslim Women’s Organization

Think for Actions

TMA McGill

University of Calgary Muslim Students Association

University of Ottawa Muslim Students Association

University of Windsor’s Muslim Students Association

UTM Thaqalayn Muslim Association

UTSC Muslim Students’ Association

Western University’s Thaqalayn Muslim Association

York Region Muslims

York University Muslim Students’ Association

CC:

Minister Chrystia Freeland,

Minister Lebouthillier,

Minister Mendocino,

Minister Hussen,

Leader Pierre Polievre,

Leader Jagmeet Singh

_______________________________________

Cher Premier Ministre Trudeau:

À la suite du Sommet National sur l’Islamophobie de 2021, nous avons été réconfortés de voir votre engagement pour assurer une revue des pratiques d’audit de l’ARC envers les organismes caritatifs musulmans. Cela dit, nous avons prévenu que cette revue devrait être exhaustive et nécessiterait de la transparence.

Malheureusement, nous vous écrivons aujourd’hui pour suggérer que la revue ci-dessus est intrinsèquement constituée de failles.

Nous, soussignés, qui représentons les organisations dirigées par les musulmanes et musulmans à travers le pays, vous écrivons aujourd’hui pour exprimer nos inquiétudes à la lumière de la déclaration de l’Ombudsman des contribuables devant le Comité Sénatorial des Droits de l’Homme le 21 novembre 2022 à propos de la revue du racisme systémique à l’Agence du Revenu du Canada (ARC). L’Ombudsman, M. François Boileau, a exprimé clairement dans ses déclarations que la revue est à une « impasse », car son cabinet est incapable d’accéder à la divulgation requise de l’ARC afin d’être en mesure de compléter la revue de manière significative. Ce manque d’accès, selon l’Ombudsman, est en partie dû au manque de transparence dans les affaires en lien avec la sécurité nationale.

Mme la Ministre Lebouthillier a demandé cette revue à la suite de plusieurs années de revendications communautaires et de la sortie du rapport du Conseil National des Musulmans Canadiens (CNMC) et de l’Université de Toronto en 2021 qui a identifié de l’Islamophobie et racisme potentiel dans la façon dans laquelle l’ARC mène ses audits qui sont motivés par des intérêts de sécurité nationale. L’avènement de la revue de l’Ombudsman fut un pas bien accueilli pour aborder le racisme systémique dans l’Agence du Revenu du Canada. Nous avons cependant exprimé nos inquiétudes, au départ et durant plusieurs rencontres et entretiens subséquents, que la revue devrait pouvoir aborder l’intersection de la sécurité nationale et les audits de l’ARC des organismes caritatifs – une intersection qui est centrale aux inquiétudes que les membres de la communauté ont continuellement soulevées.

Plus spécifiquement, le rapport du CNMC et de la U of T a identifié que le modèle d’évaluation basé sur les risques du Canada vis-à-vis du financement de l’anti-terrorisme ainsi que d’autres méthodes pour contrer la radicalisation comme éléments centraux des audits de l’ARC examinés. Si le cabinet de l’Ombudsman est incapable d’évaluer dûment comment ces impératifs de sécurité nationale croisent les pratiques d’audit de l’ARC, cela rendrait futile l’évaluation de l’islamophobie et du racisme dans ces pratiques.

Nous demandons que le gouvernement du Canada investisse les pouvoirs appropriés dans cette revue qui auront la possibilité d’accéder et d’adresser le travail inter-institutionnel qui a mené au ciblage injuste des organismes caritatifs musulmans.

Plus spécifiquement, nous recommandons:

1.     Qu’un organe de revue soit établi aux côtés de l’Ombudsman qui réunira l’Agence du Revenu du Canada, le Département des Finances et la Sécurité Publique pour un examen complet de l’islamophobie et du racisme

2.     De demander des autorisations et des cadres législatifs au départ de façon que la revue puisse être complétée avec rigueur et intégrité dans un temps opportun; et

3.     De suspendre la revue de l’Agence du Revenu du Canada (ARC) et de la Division de la revue et de l’examen (DRE) en attendant une réelle revue du modèle d’évaluation basé sur le risque du Canada et sa Stratégie Nationale pour combattre l’extrémisme et la radicalisation.

Sincèrement,

Al Nadwa Educational islamic Centre

Al Rashid Mosque

Altaqwa Academy Foundation

Anatolia Islamic Centre

Bosnian Islamic Center of Hamilton

British Columbia Museums Association

Canadian Council of Imams

Canadian Council of Indian Muslims

Canadian Council of Muslim Women

Canadian Muslim Civil Liberties Association

Dar Alsunnah Institute

Forum Musulman Canadien/Canadian Muslim Forum (FMC-CMF)

Foundation for a Path Forward

Fraser Mussala

Hilm

Human Concern International

ICNA Canada

Imam Mahdi Islamic Centre

International Muslim Organization of Toronto

Islamic Association of North West Calgary

Islamic Centre of Southwest Ontario

Islamic Community Center

Islamic Relief Canada

Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri Association of Edmonton (ISIA)

Islamic Society of Ajax

Islamic Society of Kingston

Islamic Society of Markham

Islamic Society of Toronto

Jaffari Community Centre

Jerrahi Sufi Order of Canada

Justice for All Canada

Kanata Muslim Association

London Muslim Mosque

MAC Vancouver Center

Manitoba Islamic Association

MarkazulIslam

Mashed Al Rayyan

Masjid Al-Salam

Masjid AlHakim

Masjid Darul Iman

Masjid Rahmatul-lil-Aalameen ﷺ

McMaster Ahlulbayt Islamic Society

Muslim Advisory Council of Canada Muslim Association of Canada

Muslim Association of Canada

Muslim Associations of Newfoundland and Labrador

Muslim Neighbour Nexus

Muslims of Alliston

Muslims of Dufferin

Muslims of Shelburne Centre

National Council of Canadian Muslims

Nisa Homes

North American Muslim Foundation

North London Islamic Centre

Olive Tree Foundation

Queen’s University Muslim Student Association

Relieve Humanity International

Rohingya Centre of Canada

Sabeel Muslim Youth and Community Center

SALAM Project

Scarborough Muslim Association

Sheridan Muslim Students Association

Simon Fraser University Thaqalayn Muslim Association

Tamilnadu Multicultural Association of Canada (TMAC)

Tawheed Community Centre

Thaqalayn Muslim Association OTU

Thaqalayn Muslim Association York University

The Canadian-Muslim Vote

The Ottawa Muslim Women’s Organization

Think for Actions

TMA McGill

University of Calgary Muslim Students Association

University of Ottawa Muslim Students Association

University of Windsor’s Muslim Students Association

UTM Thaqalayn Muslim Association

UTSC Muslim Students’ Association

Western University’s Thaqalayn Muslim Association

York Region Muslims

York University Muslim Students’ Association

CC:

Minister Chrystia Freeland,

Minister Lebouthillier,

Minister Mendocino,

Minister Hussen,

Leader Pierre Polievre,

Leader Jagmeet Singh