Texas Governor Labels CAIR a Terrorist Organization
Many organizations and leaders are expressing outrage over Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s recent decision to classify the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a terrorist organization, urging him to reverse this designation.
In November, Abbott moved to formally label both the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Abbott asserted that both groups aim to forcefully impose Sharia law and establish what he termed “Islamic world hegemony.”
“The actions taken by the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR to support terrorism and undermine our laws through violence, intimidation, and harassment around the globe are unacceptable,” Abbott stated.
He added, “Today, I have designated the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations. These extremists are not welcome in our state and are currently prohibited from acquiring property rights in Texas.”
In response, CAIR is reportedly pursuing a federal lawsuit against Abbott.
According to a press release from CAIR, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is also named in the lawsuit. General Counsel Lena Masri highlighted that CAIR’s Legal Defense Fund has previously won three lawsuits against Abbott for allegedly infringing on the First Amendment by targeting critics of the Israeli government.
CAIR labeled Abbott’s designation as a foreign terrorist organization as a smear, criticizing him as an “Israel First politician” and arguing, “We are not and will not be threatened by the smear campaign launched by Israel First politicians like Mr. Abbott. He is slandering us and other American Muslims because we advocate for justice both at home and abroad.”
Various groups, including some that are non-Muslim, have condemned Abbott’s actions and expressed their disapproval during a news conference this week.
Mustafa Carroll, the executive director of CAIR Dallas-Fort Worth, stated that Abbott is “trying to punish the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization simply because it exercises its First Amendment rights to critique foreign nations committing genocide.”
Some religious leaders have expressed their support for CAIR. Deborah Arminter from Jewish Voice for Peace stated, “We stand in solidarity with our comrades at CAIR and unwaveringly support their lawsuit against Mr. Abbott’s false and unconstitutional declaration.”
Additionally, State Rep. Terry Meza has joined calls for the governor to retract his designation, saying, “Your words are not only wrong; they are dangerous. Comments like this pose a risk to the Muslim community.”
According to details from Abbott’s office, the declaration enables increased enforcement actions against both organizations and their affiliates, restricting them from purchasing or acquiring land in Texas.
