Communiqués De Presse

OTTAWA — October 19, 2026 — The Fahmy Foundation launched with Canada Act Now, a public education, research and prevention campaign focused on understanding Islamist radicalization and

preventing the progression toward extremism and violence.

 

The launch included an exclusive discussion, “Islamism, the Muslim Brotherhood and Canada’s National Security,” held in collaboration with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI). The panel featured

Foundation founder Mohamed Fahmy, an award-winning journalist, human rights advocate and former political prisoner, and Theo Padnos, the Foundation’s Head of Research, scholar, author and former

al-Qaeda hostage. The discussion was moderated by Brian Lee Crowley, founder of MLI.

 

“The question Canadians should be asking is simple: if governments across the Middle East, Europe, Muslim-majority countries and now the United States have deemed the Muslim Brotherhood and its

various branches serious enough to warrant terrorist or extremist designations, why has Canada not undertaken a transparent and comprehensive examination of the organization and its networks here?

 

We should not wait for violence before asking these questions. We need to understand the ideology, networks and sources of influence before radicalization becomes a security crisis. This is not about

targeting Muslims or restricting legitimate religious or political expression. It is about applying the same scrutiny to Islamist movements that we apply to any organization whose ideology, financing or

networks may pose a threat to Canadians,” stated Fahmy.

 

Drawing on their firsthand experiences of detention, captivity and correctional environments, as well as years of frontline journalism and research, Fahmy and Padnos examined the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamist ideology, radicalization and prevention.

 

Theo Padnos states, “I know firsthand what extremism can do—not only because I was held captive by al-Qaeda, but because I have spent years studying how people become vulnerable to extremist ideologies and how difficult it can be to find a way out. Radicalization rarely begins with violence. It begins with ideas, grievances, isolation and a search for identity or belonging. That is why prevention

matters.”

 

Canada Act Now will continue through the coming months with further public discussions, research publications and educational resources aimed at policymakers, educators, community leaders,

journalists and the public. The campaign seeks to strengthen Canadians’ understanding of how radicalization takes hold and to support evidence-based prevention before ideology turns to violence.