Islamic group’s upcoming conference urging return of Muslim caliphate and Shariah law brings call for adding it to terror list

'Their views about suicide bombing should be of concern, because once you have an idea like that out in the political domain, it’s not controllable,' says former Hizb ut-Tahrir leader

Get the latest from Adrian Humphreys straight to your inbox

Published Jan 06, 2025  •  6 minute read

A screenshot from the Hizb Ut Tahrir Canada's Instagam video promoting its upcoming 2025 Khilafah Conference in Hamilton. Photo by Hizb Ut Tahrir /Instagram

A controversial Canadian Islamic group is resurrecting their annual conference calling for the return of an Islamic caliphate and imposition of Shariah law that was abruptly cancelled last year after its sister organization was declared a terrorist entity in Britain.

Both the conference and the organization hosting it — at a secret location on Jan. 18 — are causing alarm over militancy, antisemitism, and views on terrorism, bringing calls for the gathering to be cancelled and the group to be listed as a terrorist organization.

Article content

Hizb ut Tahrir Canada, the Canadian branch of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an international Islamic revolutionary organization, is distributing free tickets to its Khilafah Conference 2025. Khilafah is the Arabic word for caliphate, referring to a Muslim region governed under Islamic religious law.

A promotional video for the conference says “colonialist powers” fear the international Muslim community turning to political and military action. The video fondly evokes old battles of Muslim armies fighting European powers.

Recommended from Editorial

1. 

   Islamic group calling for Shariah law cancels Canadian event after U.K. declares it a terrorist entity

2. 

   Canada designates Samidoun a terrorist entity after 'death to Canada' chant

The group is seen as starkly antisemitic, hawkish on eradicating Israel, rejecting international cooperation and intervention, and approving of elements of Islamic militant jihadi action.

Organizers of the conference did not respond to requests for comment on the conference and concerns about its content prior to deadline. The Hizb ut-Tahrir central world media office in Beirut did not respond to a request for comment. The central office lists media contacts in 29 countries, but none for Canada.

Article content

Last year’s Hizb ut Tahrir Canada’s Khilafah conference was abruptly cancelled by organizers after Britain’s proscription order against Hizb ut-Tahrir under the Terrorism Act. (Canada’s branch does not use a hyphen in its name and has not been designated a terrorist organization in Canada.)

In making the 2024 declaration, U.K. Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “Hizb ut-Tahrir is an antisemitic organization that actively promotes and encourages terrorism, including praising and celebrating the appalling 7 October attacks.”

Some Jewish groups in Canada say the same can be said in Canada.

“The organization is notorious for its antisemitic character, most recently seen in its celebration of the Oct. 7th massacre in Israel,” said Noah Shack, interim president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, a Canadian Jewish advocacy group.

“As we saw in New Orleans and in multiple terror plots disrupted in Canada in recent months, radicalization is a serious threat to public safety. At a time when demonstrations in Canada are regularly featuring pro-terrorist rhetoric and calls for violence, authorities need to be more vigilant than ever.

Article content

Article content

“We are urging the government and national security authorities to prevent Hizb ut-Tahrir from using Canada as a platform for its dangerous agenda,” said Shack.

Article content

CIJA also urged Ottawa to add the group to Canada’s list of designated terror organizations.

Hizb ut Tahrir’s promotional materials call for Muslims to join in a global Islamic caliphate to “become victorious against today’s Colonialist superpowers.” At the conference attendees will “learn what it will take for our Ummah to overcome America, Europe, Russia, China, and others from the position we’re in today.” (Ummah is an Arabic word meaning the whole Muslim community.)

Its materials refer to Israel only as “the Zionist entity” and also brands current leaders of Islamic countries “cowards” and “tyrant rulers of the Muslim lands.”

The conference was originally scheduled for Mississauga, just outside Toronto, at a location not publicly disclosed.

Over the weekend, a new promotional video on Instagram said the location has been changed to Hamilton. Those registered for the conference are told to watch their email inbox to learn where it will be held.

“This very extreme group are moving on to another City for their Jan. 18th conference. On behalf of all the peaceful and respectful residents of Mississauga, we are relieved,” Mississauga’s mayor, Carolyn Parrish, said on social media.

Article content

Article content

Parrish told Postmedia that city staff had checked to make sure the conference was not booked at a city-run facility and had been trying to find out what private facility was hosting the conference to alert them to concerns about the group. The city also alerted Pearson Airport authorities to “carefully monitor passports to deny entry to those on Canada’s banned lists.” The airport is in the city’s boundary.

Andrea Horwath, mayor of Hamilton, could not be reached prior to deadline.

Rashad Ali, a former leader with the Hizb ut-Tahrir in Britain — who now works in extremist deradicalization — said the effort to bring back the conference means the organization has adjusted to life after the British terrorist declaration and is re-engaging publicly.

“They’ll have determined exactly what their legal situation and circumstances are,” Ali said in an interview. “It was a year ago. They would have had time to draw up a policy and determine what actions they can and shouldn’t do. I think they’ve determined that they can continue their activism.”

He said the focus of Hizb ut-Tahrir, Arabic for “Party of Liberation,” is revolution in countries with large Muslim populations to spur their unification to restore the medieval Muslim empire. Their interest in Canada is to use the country to spread its message, gain influence, and inspire change in Muslim-majority countries.

Article content

Although nominally a political party, the group rejects democracy and the electoral process. “The only way (to power) is by the overthrow of government by revolution,” said Ali.

Asked if he thought the Khilafah conference was a danger to Canada or Canadians, he said it a difficult question to answer.

“I don’t think in and of itself it causes security concern. However, there are considerable things about it which should be of concern.

Their views about political violence should be of concern because there’s an ambiguity about how they feel towards certain types of terrorism.

“Their views about suicide bombing should be of concern, because once you have an idea like that out in the political domain, it’s not controllable.

“Also, they are a retarding influence on Muslim communities, in the sense of their ideas about democracy and human rights and political participation… and (that is) damaging for integration and social cohesion.”

Ali said he expects Hizb ut Tahrir to use current protests over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza to drive recruitment.

The theme for the conference is “Khilafah: Eliminating the obstacles that are delaying its return,” which is the same as the title of the cancelled show last year. Two of the advertised speakers are also the same, Bilal Khan, and Malik Abu Luqman.

Article content

Article content

A report on a conference of the same name and theme hosted by the U.S. branch of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Chicago in March was criticized afterwards by the Anti-Defamation League, a U.S. antisemitism organization.

The U.S. conference “featured speakers who called for an army to invade and destroy Israel, justified the October 7 Hamas terror attack, suggested men should travel to Gaza to fight Israel, implored followers to ‘resist’ the ‘LGBT genderism…agenda driven by the UN’ and, in several cases, espoused overt antisemitic rhetoric,” the ADL said in a published report following the conference.

The ADL alleged that one of the speakers who is scheduled to speak in Canada this month, Abu Omar, “strongly suggested listeners use their ‘power…and abilities’ to physically fight against Israel, and, barring that, should use their voices.”

Tickets are listed as being free, with babysitting and lunch included.

Tickets are distributed in segregated categories, with male and female tickets listed separately. Children’s tickets are divided by age, eight and under and nine to 12.

Tickets for the five-and-a-half-hour event are distributed through Eventbrite, an online ticketing portal.

• Email: [email protected] | X: AD_Humphreys

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.

Article content