ISNA Canada

Last updated
ISNA Canada
Formation1982
Type Non-profit organization
Headquarters Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Region
Ontario and Northwest Territories
Affiliations Islamic Society of North America
Website www.isnacanada.com

ISNA Canada is a non-profit Muslim religious organization in Canada. It offers a variety of programs and services to the Canadian Muslim community at large, and is associated with the Islamic Society of North America, which is based in the United States. The organization has three centres, located in Mississauga, Toronto, and Yellowknife.

Contents

Services and programs

ISNA Canada states that its goal is to help Muslims put their faith into action by offering a variety of volunteer, educational and leadership opportunities. [1] Some of these opportunities include: a monthly food bank that serves 600 families per month; programs that engage youth in community service, such as Walk the Talk; weekend Islamic and Arabic schools; Quran classes; and kids camps. [2] [3]

Some of the other services that ISNA Canada provides to support Muslims include marriage services, funeral services, Islamic psychotherapy and mental health counselling, halal certification, and Islamic bookstores. [4]

COVID-19 pandemic

ISNA Canada responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by developing four distinct programs and services: the ISNA Canada Foodbank, the frontline workers' meal program, relief kits, and drive-thru Ramadan meals.

In mid-March, ISNA Canada initiated the creation of the Canadian Muslim Response Network with over 40 organization and distributed 1420 hygiene kits, 1527 food kits and 3810 fruits and vegetables to those most vulnerable during the pandemic, such as seniors, single mothers of young children, immuno-compromised individuals, and people with disabilities. [5]

On March 21, 2020 ISNA Canada collaborated with local restaurants to provide free meals to healthcare frontline workers. [6] The program started with restaurants in the Halton and Peel regions but eventually reached Toronto, Waterloo, and Windsor. [6] After a month's time, the program was extended to provide meals to essential workers, including police officers, paramedics, and shelters. [6] The program ran for two months and served over 8000 meals. [6]

Controversies

Mishandling of charity funds

An audit of ISNA Canada in 2011 found that only a quarter of the funds donated to the organisation went to help the poor; charity donations were misdirected to private businesses. [7]

On September 21, 2013, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) revoked the charitable tax-exempt status of the ISNA Development Foundation, [8] a charity that operated out of ISNA Canada's headquarters. [9] ISNA Canada was not affected by the move. [10]

Suspension for terrorism financing

On September 12, 2018, the CRA suspended ISNA Canada for one year and ordered the charity to pay a penalty of CA$550,000 after determining that "the society’s resources may have, directly or indirectly, been used to support the political efforts of Jamaat-e-Islami and/or its armed wing Hizbul Mujahideen." [11] [12] Hizbul Mujahideen, which emerged as a pro-Pakistan militant faction in the Kashmir insurgency around 1989, is designated as a terrorist organization by Canada, the United States, the European Union, and India.

The United States–based Islamic Society of North America noted association with ISNA Canada but emphasized its complete separation of governance, accounting, and auditing. [13]

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References

  1. ↑ "Our Direction". ISNA Canada. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Foodbank". ISNA Canada. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Knowledge". ISNA Canada. Retrieved June 23, 2020.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. ↑ "ISNA Canada". ISNA Canada. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Canadian Muslim Charities and Organizations Unite to Support Vulnerable Canadians Impacted by the COVID-19 Crisis". MuslimLink. April 10, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Gajewski, Misha (April 24, 2020). "Restaurants are sharing free meals and the spirit of Ramadan to frontline workers in Ontario". blogTO. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  7. ↑ McLean, Jesse (January 20, 2011). "Muslim charity squandered money for poor". The Star. Toronto.
  8. ↑ Canada Revenue Agency (press release distributed by MarketWired) (September 20, 2013). "The Canada Revenue Agency Revokes the Registration of the ISNA Development Foundation as a Charity".
  9. ↑ "Star Investigation: Federal audit raises concern that Canadian charity funded terror".
  10. ↑ "ISNA Canada Release 27 September, 2013, Re: ISNA Development Foundation". ISNA Canada. September 27, 2013. Archived from the original on July 8, 2017.
  11. ↑ Stewart Bell (2018-10-01). "CRA suspends, fines major Islamic charity over concerns it may have 'provided resources' to armed militants". Global News . Retrieved 2018-11-11.
  12. ↑ McLean, Jesse (2013-07-25). "Star Investigation: Federal audit raises concern that Canadian charity funded terror". The Toronto Star. ISSN   0319-0781 . Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  13. ↑ "ISNA Clarifies Its Position on ISNA Canada". Islamic Society of North America. Archived from the original on 2014-11-28. Retrieved 2014-11-17.
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