Canadian Muslim Group to Host Journalists Who Celebrated Hamas’ October 7th Attack
Board members of the Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council has previously ignited controversy for allegedly financing terror
The Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council (CMPAC) is set to host a ‘Life in Gaza’ film screening tour produced by Al Jazeera, with events scheduled across Canada from February 6-13th. The tour features multiple Al Jazeera-affiliated individuals who have openly praised Hamas’s October 7th attacks, including one speaker, Wael Al-Dahdouh, who has direct ties to Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Additionally, board members of CMPAC have been alleged to have ties to terror funding, supporting Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood. The event is being held at several public universities, including the University of Western Ontario, the University of Ottawa, McGill University, the University of Calgary, and the University of Alberta.
Belal Khaled: Celebrating Hamas Paragliders
One of the featured speakers, Belal Khaled, reshared images on October 7th of Hamas terrorists paragliding into Israel to carry out attacks, captioning it, “Scenes of a falcon squadron landing on gliders inside liberated Palestine.” In another post from the same day, he shared a photo of Hamas rockets being fired at Israel, writing, “Gaza writes history.” Khaled also posted a graphic appearing to depict armed terrorists marching toward the Al-Aqsa Mosque with the chilling caption, “We will see you soon.”
Beyond his own posts, Khaled is tagged in numerous disturbing images, reflecting the extremist circles he associates with. Among them is a baby wrapped in Hamas paraphernalia, multiple pictures of armed terrorists, a painting of Adolf Hitler, and an of Hamas leader Khaled Mashal, with a caption praising him.
Khadija Bengana: Al Jazeera Founder Promoting Hamas Leadership
Another panelist, Khadija Bengana, is a founding member of Al Jazeera Satellite Channel and a well-known media figure in the Arab world. On October 7th, she quoted former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in two posts that praised Hamas’s attacks and violence: “The conflict is decided on the field by the hands of the mujahideen and the heroism of the people.”
Jamal Elshayyal: Sanitizing Hamas’ Kidnapping of the Bibas Family
Jamal Elshayyal, another featured speaker, reshared a Hamas propaganda video from October 7th depicting the kidnapping of the Bibas family. He promoted Hamas’s disinformation campaign by falsely asserting that “there have been no reports of any children being targeted despite fighters controlling several illegal settlements.” This directly contradicts verified reports of Hamas’s atrocities against civilians, including children, on that day.
Wael Al-Dahdouh: Ties to Palestinian Islamic Jihad
The final panelist, Wael Al-Dahdouh, Al-Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, has been identified by investigative journalist David Collier as coming from a family of Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives. Al-Dahdouh has also met with Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, further cementing his entrenchment in militant networks. Unlike the other speakers, who will be present in person, Al-Dahdouh will be joining the event virtually.
CMPAC’s Board Members and Extremist Ties
Two board members of CMPAC, the organization hosting the film screening tour, Issam Saleh and Yaser Haddara, have been linked to alleged terror financing and support. Issam Saleh is also the Director of Community Engagement for the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC), while Yaser Haddara is also a board member of MAC. A March 2021 audit of MAC by the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) alleged that some of its directors and employees were involved in “an apparent Hamas support network.” Among the “areas of non-compliance” cited by the auditors were alleged ties to Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and IRFAN-Canada, which Canada has designated as a terrorist entity due to its support for Hamas.
The CRA Charities Directorate further alleged that MAC had “maintained a working relationship” with IRFAN-Canada, whose charity status was revoked in 2011 after an audit found that it sent millions to groups tied to Hamas. Additionally, MAC reportedly received funding from Saudi and other foreign donors, including “a considerable amount” from the Qatar Charity, part of the Union of Good, which the CRA identified as a Hamas fundraising network.
Additionally, investigator Lola (@yyjgingerblu) has documented extensive evidence linking Issam Saleh to support for Hamas, the October 7th attacks and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Finally, according to the Henry Jackson Society, Yaser Haddara is a board member of Islamic Relief USA and IR-Canada and has been identified as a likely advisor to Muslim Brotherhood-backed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. He has also been active in North American Muslim Brotherhood networks.