“We’re coming,” the CAIR action official said.
In 2024, Basim Elkala, the executive director of the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), announced that the organization is intensifying its political efforts to challenge AIPAC.
Senate Republicans are moving to revoke the tax-exempt status of national Muslim advocacy groups, which have been labeled as terrorist organizations by Texas and Florida. Senator John Cornyn from Texas plans to introduce legislation aimed at stripping CAIR of its tax-exempt status.
As it stands, an organization’s tax-exempt status can be suspended if the State Department categorizes it as a terrorist group. Cornyn’s proposal would categorize CAIR alongside groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and al-Qaeda, and extend the ban to those providing support or resources—like funds and training—to terrorist organizations.
Texas Governor Abbott declares CAIR a terrorist group, blocks land purchase
Texas Republican lawmakers expressed their support for the bill, arguing that “organizations that fund terrorists should not receive tax breaks.” They labeled CAIR as a radical group that has a history of undermining American values and allegedly attempting to enforce unconstitutional Sharia law in Texas.
One lawmaker even called on former President Trump to address CAIR at the federal level, advocating for defunding the organization due to its perceived anti-American sentiments.
Cornyn is moving to rescind CAIR’s tax-exempt status following similar designations made by Texas and Florida governors earlier this year, branding them as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations. CAIR has consistently denied any ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is often associated with federally designated terrorist organizations like Hamas.
Cotton asks IRS to revoke nonprofit status of Muslim advocacy group
Recently, Texas Governor Greg Abbott took executive action, preventing these organizations from acquiring real estate in Texas. He claimed that CAIR members are linked to individuals pressuring for terrorist-related activities, suggesting that the FBI considers CAIR a “front group” for Hamas.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has also directed state agencies to take legal measures against these organizations and to deny them any privileges or resources if they provide material support.
Muslim groups and other leaders demand cancellation of Abbott’s ‘terrorist’ designation: ‘Defamation’
It’s noteworthy that neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood has been federally recognized as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department.
However, an executive order issued recently by President Trump tasked Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to examine which segments of the Muslim Brotherhood, specifically those in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan, should be designated as federal terrorist entities.
Fox News Digital attempted to contact CAIR for a reaction to Cornyn’s bill but did not receive an immediate response.
