An Al-Qaeda-linked Kuwaiti charity helped a Canadian Islamic organization fundraising to buy a former Church to convert into a mosque, the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) reported on Wednesday.
The Toronto area Abu Huraira Center describes itself in its website as a “diverse & unique community” that attracts over 1000 regular attendees, running a wide range of programs and services including a full-time Montessori Islamic school and evening Islamic classes.
According to their website, the total property cost for the church amounted to $ 8,800,000
As revealed by Kharon Brief, a media platform that covers topics at the intersection of global security and commerce, and reported by IPT, the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS) participated in the fundraising effort.
In 2008, the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society, which operates under the auspices of Kuwait's Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, was designated by the US Department of the Treasury for providing financial and material support to Al-Qaeda and its affiliates. The ties between the charity and the terror organization were also denounced by the UN.
Moreover, as noted by the IPT, the controversial American Sheikh Waleed Idris al-Maneese was one of the judges of the annual Quran competition hosted by the Abu Huraira Center in January 2019.
Al-Maneese has repeatedly expressed extremist and antisemitic positions, including inciting violence against Jews.
Kharon Brief shared a screenshot of the fundraising campaign for the event set by the RIHS on their website.
At least six former attendees of the Abu Huraira Center left Canada to join the al-Shabaab terrorist group in Somalia.