A new report calls on the Canada Revenue Agency to better familiarize itself with cultures and religions, particularly Islam. The report by Michelle Gallant, a professor at the University of Manitoba, is the latest study to recommend that the tax authority make changes to ensure its audits of charities are free from bias and discrimination.
Its report calls on the agency to become better acquainted with cultures and religions, including Islam, and to better publicize the way in which it carries out its controls. The text also asks theARC to regularly publish lists of groups and individuals that charities should avoid dealing with.
In an interview with Radio-Canada on Wednesday, Michelle Gallant said that this survey adds to a series of studies with similar results.
The Muslim Association of Canada (MAC), which led a legal battle to try to end the audit of the revenue agency, asked Michelle Gallant to lead the review. She said she was not paid for this work and had no previous connection with the charity or the revenue agency.
The Muslim Association of Canada promotes community service, education and youth empowerment, and says more than 150,000 Canadians attend its mosques, schools and community centers each year.
Scrutiny for support of extremism places charities in the spotlight, says Michelle Gallant’s report in the unenviable situation of having to determine which actors or actions could, in the opinion of the charity enforcement authority, be linked to terrorism
.
More transparency requested
Michelle Gallant said the agency relied heavily on the ties and relationships of the MAC with other entities as part of its analysis. According to her, Islamic groups seem to be particularly discriminated against by the examinations of theARC.
This is what was really at the heart of this investigation. There is something that is unfair about the method by which this agency determines whether there are these risks [de terrorisme] are present or not
underlines Michelle Gallant.
The groups and individuals that the federal agency considers to be linked to terrorism are not always the same as those on the official government list (nouvelle fenêtre).
She cites, for example, the Qatari charity Qatar Charity and the Muslim Brotherhood, as groups that often attract the attention of theARC.
Potential changes to theARC?
The revenue agency could play a greater role in making charities aware of the potential risks of being involved with certain groups or people, according to Michelle Gallant.
I suggested that this agency should share more information publicly. What are the organizations really? What are the States? This must be communicated with charitable organizations.
The professor adds that the agency should ensure better representation of these groups within it.
You must hire or ensure that within the organization you have this expertise in all religions but specifically including Islam.
Revenue Agency spokeswoman Nina Ioussoupova declined to comment on Michelle Gallant’s recommendations, saying the charities’ leadership does not comment on third party reports
.
A National Security and Intelligence Review Agency report released in October noted a lack of rigor
in the way in which theARC selects charities to vet for terrorism-related reasons, saying this process carries risks of bias and discrimination.
In response to the intelligence watchdog’s report, the Canada Revenue Agency said it works to ensure registered charities are treated fairly and without bias. The agency also accepted most of the watchdog’s recommendations and said it had already taken steps to strengthen its processes and oversight.
The Office of the Federal Taxpayers’ Ombudsman recently stated that the Revenue Agency was taking important measures
to raise awareness among its employees of préjugés inconscients
likely to perpetuate discriminatory behavior.
With information from the Canadian Press.
