The Canada Revenue Agency’s scrutiny of certain charities for potential terrorism ties lacked clear justification, potentially indicating bias and discrimination, as per a report by the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA). This investigation was prompted by allegations of unfair targeting of Muslim charities by the CRA’s Review and Analysis Division (RAD) due to bias and Islamophobia concerns.
NSIRA’s findings highlighted significant issues in how RAD selects charities for audits. The review revealed a lack of rigor in RAD’s processes, leading to audits on charities with no credible terrorist risk, contradicting the CRA’s claims that only high-risk charities undergo RAD scrutiny.
Concerns were raised about the potential violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms due to the disproportionate focus on Islamic and Sikh charities in RAD audits without sufficient demographic data collection to address discrimination claims.
The CRA’s RAD determines audit targets based on various sources like media reports, intelligence inputs, public tips, and internal referrals, assessing these leads through comprehensive evaluations. However, the report emphasized the need for RAD to focus strictly on charities at genuine risk of terrorist exploitation using robust methodologies.
While the report couldn’t definitively establish discriminatory practices, it emphasized the inherent risks of bias in the CRA’s processes. Recommendations were made for the CRA to collect demographic data for fair treatment of charities and to validate risk indicators effectively.
The CRA acknowledged most of NSIRA’s recommendations and has initiated steps to enhance RAD’s procedures and oversight. Commissioner Bob Hamilton affirmed the agency’s commitment to transparency and fairness in its charity audit program, underscoring its role in supporting Canada’s counter-terrorism efforts.
In response to the report, the National Council of Canadian Muslims called for the dismantling of RAD, citing its alleged lack of accountability and the need for genuine CRA oversight to prevent violations of Muslim Canadians’ rights.