Location: Canada
Hizb ut-Tahrir’s plan to host a secretive pro-caliphate conference in Ontario unraveled under intense scrutiny, exposing the group’s radical agenda. The organization, which operates globally to push for an Islamist caliphate governed by Sharia law, had titled this year’s event “The Khilafah: Eliminating the Obstacles that Are Delaying Its Return.” Promoting the caliphate as a solution to liberate Palestine and portraying the West as enemies of Islam, the group’s materials glorified past Islamic empires while stoking division. Following public outrage Hizb ut-Tahrir canceled the event, deleting its promotional content, and retreating into damage control. Despite their denials, the group has been widely condemned for supporting banned organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah, with Canada’s Public Safety Minister David McGuinty highlighting their history of “glorifying violence and promoting antisemitism,” adding that their ideology is a direct affront to Canadian values.
Location: Gaza
After over a year of war that left Gaza in ruins, over 40,000 dead, and millions displaced, Hamas declared their ceasefire with Israel a “victory,” sparking widespread outrage. Khalil Al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, claimed the conflict, which they dubbed the “Al-Aqsa Flood war,” was a triumph, hailing the October 7 attacks as a “source of pride.” However, many Arab journalists and commentators unleashed scathing critiques, branding Hamas's celebration as delusional and heartless. Saudi media figure Yahya Al-Shabraqi slammed Al-Hayya, asking, "If you see this [spilled] blood and destruction as a 'victory,' I'd like to know how you would describe a defeat!" Others, like Saudi journalist Hussein Al-Waday, argued that Hamas had only achieved a “victory over the Palestinians,” leaving their lives shattered and their cause in tatters. A mocking cartoon depicted Al-Hayya as a snake coiled around Gaza’s ruins, reflecting the betrayal many felt. Critics like Emirati scholar Abdulkhaleq Abdulla called Hamas’s surrender a final blow to the myth of "resistance," accusing the group of serving Iran’s agenda at the expense of Palestine’s future.
Location: United Kingdom
Wahed Invest, a Sharia-compliant investment firm backed by Saudi Aramco and French footballer Paul Pogba, caused outrage in the UK with a provocative ad campaign featuring Euros and US dollars in flames and the tagline “Join the Money Revolution.” While Wahed defended the campaign as a critique of inflation and a call for a “fairer system” without interest, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned it, citing its offensive nature and potential to alienate international travelers. Beneath the surface, this isn’t just about marketing—it’s a glimpse into the growing influence of Sharia finance in the West. Sharia-compliant banking, which avoids charging interest and adheres to Islamic law, may appear benign but is deeply tied to a broader Islamist agenda. These systems funnel money through an ecosystem controlled by Sharia scholars, reinforcing Islamist power structures and embedding Islamic principles into Western economies. Wahed’s ties to controversial British Islamist figures and its promotion of Sharia financing as a “solution” to global wealth inequality, raise red flags about its real motives. As the ad campaign declared, “Charging people to borrow money was once called exploitation,” but the reality is that Sharia financing is less about fairness and more about advancing a worldview fundamentally at odds with secular values.
Location: Iran
Iranian rapper and singer Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, famously known as Tataloo, is at the center of global outrage after reports surfaced that an Iranian court sentenced him to death for blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad—a charge the judiciary denies. The state-affiliated Jame Jam newspaper claimed, “The case was reopened, and this time the defendant was sentenced to death for insulting the prophet,” but officials maintain the verdict isn’t final, hinting at possible leniency. Tataloo, a provocative figure with bold tattoos and a unique blend of rap and R&B, was once a darling of conservative politicians and even backed Iran’s nuclear program in a 2015 song. However, after being extradited from Turkey in 2023, he now faces charges ranging from “prostitution” to “obscene content.” His case has sparked intense debate about freedom of expression under Iran’s harsh blasphemy laws.
Location: United States
On January 8, 2025, Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi of the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn, Michigan, delivered a speech steeped in support for Hezbollah and its slain leader, Hassan Nasrallah, declaring it a "blessing" to have been "attached with" Nasrallah and Lebanon’s "martyrs." Elahi, who has long been tied to the Iranian regime's influence network in the U.S., exemplifies Tehran’s propaganda machinery operating on American soil. As the only identifiable American member of the Ahlul Bayt World Assembly—a global organization spreading Iranian ideological influence—Elahi plays a pivotal role in disseminating pro-Iranian narratives. "Sayyed [Nasrallah] and the people who sacrificed in Lebanon and Yemen… are the real winners of 2024," he proclaimed, while denouncing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "real loser." Elahi’s remarks mirrored Tehran’s rhetoric, praying for the defeat of "criminal, occupying Zionists" and promising to sell his apartment to aid families in Lebanon. With his ties to high-level Iranian leaders and a history of promoting Iran's ideological and political agenda, Elahi’s public glorification of Hezbollah highlights the Iranian regime’s deeply rooted soft power operations in America.
