Muslim Faith Leaders Release Comprehensive Guide to Terrorist Symbols for Canadian Law Enforcement
A new guide from the Global Imams Council documents flags and emblems of Islamist terror groups on Canada's official list—helping authorities identify threats while safeguarding Muslim communities
The Global Imams Council (GIC) has published an extensive visual reference documenting the flags, emblems, and symbols of Islamist terrorist organizations designated by the Canadian government. This marks the first comprehensive resource of its kind aimed at helping law enforcement and the public accurately identify extremist imagery while protecting peaceful Muslim communities from misidentification.
Collaborative Development with Security Experts
The newly released “Symbols of Terror” guide represents a significant collaboration between Muslim religious leadership and public safety efforts in Canada. Developed in coordination with Secure Canada—a non-profit organization founded by Canadian victims of terrorism that works to combat extremism and related national security threats.
The comprehensive reference manual addresses a critical gap in public awareness during a period when discussions about terrorist flags and symbols have intensified across Canada. Each entry in the guide provides detailed information about specific terrorist organizations, including their names, aliases, countries of origin, and the visual symbols they deploy to communicate allegiance, project strength, or advance ideological claims.
Comprehensive Coverage of Designated Groups
The guide documents a wide spectrum of Islamist terrorist organizations that appear on Canada’s official list, ranging from well-known international networks to regional affiliates. Major entries include Al Qaeda and its various branches—Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb—each distinguished by their unique flags and emblems.
The publication covers the Islamic State and its numerous provincial divisions, including Islamic State-Khorasan Province operating in Afghanistan, Islamic State-Sinai Province, Islamic State in Libya, and Islamic State West Africa Province, among others. Each affiliate is documented with its specific visual markers and operational territory.
Regional terrorist groups feature prominently in the guide as well. Al-Shabaab, the Somalia-based militant organization whose name translates to “The Youth,” is detailed alongside its various aliases and flag variations. The guide also documents Hamas, which has been listed as a terrorist entity under Canada’s Criminal Code since November 2002, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah, providing law enforcement with clear visual references for identifying their respective symbols.
The Taliban and its affiliate Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan are covered, along with South Asian groups such as Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Harakat ul-Mujahideen. West African organizations including Boko Haram, Ansaru, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, and the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa are similarly documented with their distinctive flags and emblems.
Middle Eastern groups such as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the Haqqani Network, and various Palestinian terror groups including the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) receive detailed treatment. The guide even includes entries for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Qods Force, recently added to Canada’s terrorist list.
Practical Features for Law Enforcement Use
The document includes scannable codes that link directly to Public Safety Canada’s official listings, allowing users to verify terrorist designations in real time. This feature reflects the guide’s dual purpose as both an educational resource and a practical law enforcement tool.
The guide distinguishes between legitimate religious symbols and their misuse by designated terrorist organizations, a distinction the council emphasizes as essential to protecting peaceful Muslim communities from collective stigmatization.
By providing law enforcement with a comprehensive visual reference while simultaneously protecting the integrity of Islamic symbols, the guide represents an attempt to operationalize interfaith cooperation in service of national security. The publication’s release reflects the council’s broader mandate to promote peaceful coexistence, counter misinformation, and prevent the manipulation of religious imagery by extremist elements.