MONTREAL — One of the country's largest Muslim organizations gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to a Hamas-linked charity, and vocally supported an Egyptian Islamist group, QMI Agency has learned.

The Muslim Association of Canada (MAC), based in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, Ont., owns or operates at least 20 Islamic schools and 15 mosques in Ontario, Alberta and Quebec.

MAC's website says the group is centred around "holistic educational and spiritual development" and "has no organizational link or affiliation with other organizations."

However, QMI obtained an RCMP search warrant linking the group to IRFAN-Canada, a banned charity group and a listed terrorist organization also based in Mississauga.

The Mounties, citing Canada Revenue Agency disclosure, say: "The Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) provided $296,514 between 2001 and 2010" to IRFAN-Canada.

The Conservative government declared IRFAN-Canada a terrorist group on April 29, 2014 -- one day after the Mounties raided the charity.

The government said "between 2005 and 2009, IRFAN-Canada transferred approximately $14.6-million worth of resources to various organizations associated with Hamas."

Hamas's charter calls for the destruction of Israel.

IRFAN-Canada's Ottawa-based lawyer, Yavar Hameed, had no comment on Tuesday. The group is fighting its terrorist designation in Federal Court.

The Mounties obtained their warrant as part of Project Sapphire, involving surveillance, wiretaps and undercover operatives in the Toronto and Montreal area. The warrant led to a raid on IRFAN's Mississauga headquarters and a Montreal apartment on April 28, 2014. Investigators seized computer files, donation forms, and promotional videos that "demonize Israel."

The RCMP wouldn't say if its investigation is ongoing.

The Muslim Association of Canada bills itself as a "religious, educational, social, charitable and non-profit organization" whose "roots are deeply enshrined in the message of Prophet Mohammed."

However, the 113-page RCMP warrant shows the Mississauga group was under police surveillance for alleged terrorist financing as recently as last year. The warrant mentions an alleged transaction that took place at Al-Radwah Mosque, a MAC facility in north-end Montreal.

"(REDACTED) was observed on March 6, 2014, exiting the MAC location in Montreal carrying an 8 1/2 by 14-inch yellow envelope in his hand," the warrant reads. "It is possible that (REDACTED) is still accepting donations on behalf of IRFAN from the MAC in Montreal."

On the public stage, MAC has spoken out against violence, most recently in October when terrorists killed a soldier at Parliament Hill and another near Montreal.

At the time, MAC said it was "horrified by these acts of violence" and "stand(s) with all Canadians in condemning these attacks."

The group has also condemned violence by Islamic State (ISIS), killing or driving out thousands in Iraq and Syria.

At the same time, MAC has expressed open support for Hamas' ideological forebears, the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt considers a terrorist organization. Older versions of MAC's website list the Muslim Brotherhood's founder, Imam Hassan al-Banna, as a major influence.

"MAC ... strives to practice Islam as embodied in the Qur'an and the teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and as understood in its contemporary, comprehensive, and balanced context by the late Imam Hassan Albanna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood," the website previously read.

Last year, as details emerged about the IRFAN charity's links to Hamas, MAC changed its statement. It now simply reads that Al-Banna "had a deep impact on much of the Muslim world."

MAC operates schools in major cities including Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton.

They include Ottawa's Abraar Islamic School, which made headlines in 2005 when Ontario's education ministry began an investigation over a student's anti-Jewish writing project.

A MAC leader met by QMI in November dismissed all of the allegations and even denied he was part of the group.

Lazhar Aissaoui, director of Dar Al-Iman School in Montreal, threatened to call the police when a journalist approached him at the facility.

"There is no Muslim school here belonging to the Muslim Association," Aissaoui claimed.

However, according to Quebec's land register, the Muslim Association of Canada has owned the building that houses the private school since 2002.

- With files from Hugo Joncas