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Or sign-in if you have an account.The Muslim Association of Canada office in Vancouver. File photo. Photo by Gerry Kahrmann /Postmedia A May 28 column in National Post by Terry Newman outlined multiple controversial aspects of a conference held by the Muslim Association of Canada in May, including a talk given by an activist who praised the Muslim Brotherhood, and a youth session, where being “Jew Free” was expressed as a desired outcome by at least one person in attendance. The Muslim Association of Canada asked for a chance to respond. This is their response.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. 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The Record Deserves to Be Complete.This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againOver three days in Toronto, thousands of Muslim-Canadians came together at MAC Convention 2026. Speakers and attendees explored what it means to live a faith-rooted life in full engagement with this country. Speakers gave sessions on Islamic scholarship, family life, youth identity, civic responsibility and democratic participation. Families enjoyed the booths in the bazaar. They prayed together. The community showed up in greater numbers than previous years.That is the convention that took place. It is not the convention that has been portrayed in social media.A recent op-ed by Post columnist Terry Newman showcased a picture from the convention. At a youth session, a public, anonymous audience-participation exercise produced a word cloud. The image has since been circulated.There are 50 entries visible in the word cloud. The three words that dominate the image, rendered in the largest fonts because word clouds scale by frequency, are “United,” “Justice” and “Strong.” Those were the words Canadian Muslim youth chose most. Below them, in slightly smaller font, sits words such as “Peace,” “Equality,” “Equity,” “Freedom,” “Safety,” “Diverse,” “Supportive” and “Impactful.” These are the words of a generation thinking seriously about how to contribute to this country.One of the entries, the one that has triggered conversation on social media, was “Jew free.” The facilitator did not notice it. A Juno News contributor was present at the convention. The photograph was taken by Juno News. Juno News did not call it out at the moment, when there was an opportunity to do so. Juno News then published it, leading to public controversy.The phrase “Jew free” is offensive and hurtful to Jewish Canadians, to Muslim Canadians, and to anyone committed to a pluralistic society. Neither MAC nor the Muslim community should be defined by an anonymous submission to an open platform, but we will always name hatred for what it is.For greater clarity, the phrase is unequivocally against Islamic teachings and, as such, it does not represent the values of the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC), the values taught at our convention or the values of Canadian Muslims. It is also worth stating something that should be obvious but has been obscured in this coverage: antisemitism and Islamophobia are not competing hatreds. They often travel together. Any organization genuinely committed to combating hate understands that you cannot separate them. MAC understands this all too well.This is not the only misrepresentation of the convention, as we see it. Sessions of the convention were recorded, clipped and stripped of context. Specific remarks by speakers that directly contradict the narrative being constructed were not reported. For example, in one session, a speaker demonstrated a platform that helps citizens draft letters to elected representatives. The session was then framed as something threatening. The tool the speaker demonstrated is functionally identical to what environmental organizations, labour unions and faith-based advocacy groups across the political spectrum use every day, but apparently becomes sinister when Muslims use it.The convention also addressed Gaza. We do not apologize for that. Many of our attendees have family in Gaza. They have watched loved ones killed, homes destroyed, children orphaned, widespread hunger, and entire communities erased. The death toll among Palestinian civilians has been catastrophic. Speaking about injustice is an Islamic obligation and a fundamental Canadian value.We have published a detailed, public account of what was actually said at MAC Convention 2026. We invite anyone who has formed an opinion based on secondhand accounts to read this and to understand the truth.Thousands of Canadians gathered in Toronto to learn and to think seriously about how to contribute to this country. Perhaps it is time to listen to what they actually have to say.Sharaf Sharafeldin is president of strategy at the Muslim Association of Canada. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.