Join us for the virtual launch of ICLMG’s latest report:
“The Damage of De-risking: How Canada’s Policies to Counter Terrorism Financing Drive Financial Exclusion”
ICLMG’s National Coordinator and report author, Tim McSorley, in conversation with former Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, Amira Elghawaby
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 7 PM ET, online on zoom
A humanitarian organization providing aid to civilians in Syria and other populations in crisis is suddenly told that their online donation processor would be shutting their account in 30 days, with no explanation. An organization engaging in education and advocacy for solidarity with Palestine has its bank account suddenly shuttered; not long after, one of the organization’s directors and 13 members of their family also have their accounts shut. All with no explanation and no recourse.
This is the reality of de-risking: the practice whereby financial institutions terminate or restrict access to financial services for certain clients or sectors to avoid perceived regulatory, compliance, or reputational risk, rather than managing that risk through proportionate, individualized and evidence-based mitigation measures. This has resulted in unjustified and discriminatory decisions that significantly impact both individual and organizational clients, including non-profits and charities.
Our report shows that the de-risking of non-profit organizations in Canada, particularly those that are active in Muslim communities or carrying out humanitarian activities abroad, is not a series of isolated commercial decisions made by individual banks, but a predictable structural outcome of Canada’s anti-terrorist financing framework.
During the webinar, we will present our analysis of Canada’s anti-terrorist financing ecosystem and its impacts, share case studies from individuals and organizations who have been impacted by de-risking, and outline our recommendations to remedy the situation.
Speakers:
Tim McSorley is the National Coordinator of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group. He joined the coalition in 2016. In 2021, he authored the report The CRA’s Prejudiced Audits: Counter-Terrorism and the Targeting of Muslim Charities in Canada, a precursor to this new report.
Amira Elghawaby is a journalist, human rights advocate, and the Founder and Executive Director of the Muslim Communities Research Observatory. She served as the first ever federal Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia from 2023 to 2026.
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Thank you!
We are very grateful for the support of
The Muslim Fund, whose funding made
this project possible.