Posted: January, 2004

A number of pro-jihad Web sites

Related Article Canada and Terror

have been hosted on Canadian servers, including three Web sites associated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad (a designated terrorist group by both the U.S. and Canadian governments) - with one dedicated to the deceased leader of the terrorist group Shikaki; one for the militant arm of the group; and another for the current leader Dr. Ramadan Abdullah.

Other sites supporting terrorism have been hosted in Canada. One group that caused some concern among terrorism experts calls itself the "Global Campaign Against Aggression." The sites (maac.ws and qawim.org) for this group claim to be campaigning against terrorism, but include messages and material by the Secretary General of the "Campaign," Saudi dissident Dr. Safar al-Hawali, who is regarded by many scholars as one of the main mentors of Osama bin Laden.

Canadian laws on hate speech extend to Web sites, so materials hosted in Canada are restricted - and many pro-terrorist sites in Canada have been removed after they were brought to the hosting company's attention. However, because of the excellent communications infrastructure and proximity to the United States, supporters of terrorism have used and continue to use Canada's online resources.