Elon Musk questions Mississauga conference planned by banned Islamic group

A planned conference by a fundamentalist Islamic group has been turned away from Mississauga, but not before gathering some high-profile attention.

Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish says the conference by the Canadian branch of Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) scheduled for Jan. 18 will now take place at another location, possibly Hamilton.

“It appears that Hizb ut Tahrir conference of extremists has moved on to another City. Location in Hamilton to be decided. I’m pleased that the peaceful and respectful residents of Mississauga will not have to endure the fallout,” the mayor wrote on X. “On behalf of all the peaceful and respectful residents of Mississauga, we are relieved,”

HT cancelled a similar conference last year in Mississauga due to public scrutiny.

On its Facebook page, the organization says topics at the conference will focus on the obstacles and challenges facing the Islamic community and how to overcome them.

It’s not known where in Hamilton the event is scheduled if at all.

News of the conference caused a stir last week on social media last week with many saying HT should not be allowed to gather.

Even American industrialist and Donald Trump advisor Elon Musk weighed in by posting a notice about the Mississauga conference and asking on his social media platform X: “Is this accurate?”

Hizb ut-Tahrir planned a Mississauga conference with similar themes in January of 2024, but pulled out a day after the organization was declared to be a terrorist group in Britain following claims that it is antisemitic. HT is also banned in India, Pakistan, Germany, China, Russia and Turkey as well as several Muslim countries.

In Canada and the United States, HT operates freely and without restrictions. Organizers of the event could not be reached for comment.

Statements made by HT leaders say the group is non-violent and operates as a political party that advocates the unification of all Muslim countries led by one religious ruler that, once established, will expand into non-Muslim areas.

Critics say HT promotes hatred and has supported terrorist acts perpetrated against Western cultures.