Islamism
Islamism promotes Islam as the Solution for Canada and Humanity
The theological division between Sunni and Shia does not prevent cooperation toward shared political or religious objectives. In a Friday sermon, Toronto Shia Imam Rizvi described political participation as “smart engagement”:
“The other choice is what we call smart engagement. This is where you have to study the political system of Canada, how it works and how you can engage with the system for the betterment of the country as well as the minorities—especially for the Muslim minority.”
Imam Iqbal Nadvi, a former president of the Canadian Council of Imams and a Canadian Armed Forces chaplain, presented Islam as the solution not only for Muslims but for Canada and humanity:
“Islam has become a kind of solution for humanity. It is only we Muslims—if Allah uses us—it is the best service we can do to make Islam the real solution for humanity. If we do this thing, I can tell you that it will be not only for us, for this country, Canada, but for all humanity as well.”
Toronto Call to Islam
A book distributed at Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square by the group Toronto Dawah described jihad as an honourable struggle against those who oppose the spread of Islam:
“Jihad is an honourable struggle and resistance against those who oppose the peaceful spread of Allah’s Word, faith in Him and His religion of Islam.”
It described the mujahid as a Muslim fighter acting for Allah:
“A mujahid—Muslim fighter for the cause of Allah—has a clear understanding that jihad is only for just reasons: to protect Islam and the Muslims, and to spread the message of Islam and the Word of Allah.”
Material presented by the Islamic Circle of North America defined the objective of jihad more explicitly:
“The objective of jihad warrants that one must struggle against kufr—disbelief—and shirk—polytheism—and the worship of falsehood in all its forms. Jihad has to continue until this objective is achieved. The jihad will continue till the Day of Resurrection.”
It continued:
“It is incumbent on the Muslims to wage jihad against them, to wipe out disbelief and shirk, and raise the banner of the oneness of God everywhere. This hadith strongly refutes the people who distort the Islamic concept of jihad and hold that Islam preaches defensive war only.” Is Fear of Islam Rational? | Understanding Islamophobia
Sharia and the Position of Non-Muslims
Approximately ten years ago, Imam Suleiman Bengharsa delivered a lecture at Masjid Toronto in which he explained how the unequal status of non-Muslims under Islamic authority could encourage conversion:
“In a predominantly Islamic society, you should make the non-Muslim feel like he needs to become Muslim in order for him to have equal rights. It is important for the Muslim to make the non-Muslim believe that there is a benefit for the non-Muslim to become Muslim.”
Bengharsa affirmed that the hadith under discussion was authentic, but said it should not be implemented under present conditions. History of Islamophobia | Origins and Evolution
“The implementation of this hadith, the scholars have said, cannot be implemented in a society such as this because it may bring more difficulty to the Muslim communities or the Muslim individual.”
He cited Turkey as an example of Islam being established through jihad, followed by Sharia and conditions—including the jizya—that encouraged non-Muslims to convert:
“People became Muslims as a result of the fact that Muslims came with the sword and established Sharia. As a result of the establishment of Sharia, many people found that there was a need to become Muslims in order to avoid strife.”
The Return of the Islamic World Order
Hizb ut-Tahrir is a transnational Islamist movement with a presence in at least 32 countries, including Canada, Britain, the United States and Australia.
In 2020, Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain held an online conference titled The Return of the Islamic World Order: From Pandemic to BLM—An Alternative. The host introduced Dr. Jaleel Abdul-Adil to establish the background and context.
Abdul-Adil presented capitalism as a chronic problem and the Black Lives Matter protests as evidence of a global awakening:
“Humanity has finally and urgently awakened to these chronic capitalist problems. This awakening is embodied in the public protests of the Black Lives Matter movement.”
He presented the restoration of Islamic government as an objective that Muslims had continued to anticipate: Islamophobia vs Criticism of Islam | Where Is the Line?
“But the reality of the return of the Islamic world order has always been on the horizon when we Muslims look with our Islamic vision.”
Abdul-Adil concluded with a direct statement of the intended destination:
“We cannot follow the crowd. We Muslims must create the crowd moving toward an Islamic world order.”
Copyright © by ERIC BRAZAU. All rights reserved 2026.
