A coalition of Muslim and interfaith leaders is urging Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, to withdraw his proclamation designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a “foreign terrorist organization.”
Abbott’s designation operates only at the state level and does not carry the legal weight of a federal Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) listing, which can be issued solely by the U.S. State Department. As a result, the proclamation does not trigger federal terrorism penalties or authorities.
Leaders from several Muslim organizations held a news conference on Tuesday to condemn the governor’s move, which also labeled CAIR “a transnational criminal organization.”
According to Fox 4, the groups urged Abbott to rescind his characterization of the civil rights organization, calling it defamatory, harmful and dangerous.
This push comes after CAIR filed a lawsuit against Texas challenging the declaration, arguing that it violates both the U.S. Constitution and state law.
CAIR contends the order infringes on its First Amendment rights and due-process protections, and that Texas exceeded its authority because terrorism designations fall under federal, not state, jurisdiction.
“The governor is attempting to punish the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization simply because he disagrees with its protected First Amendment rights to criticize a foreign state that is conducting genocide. This is not only contrary to the United States Constitution, but finds no support in any Texas law,” Mustaffa Carroll, executive director for CAIR Dallas–Fort Worth, said at the news conference.
“You know that CAIR has condemned Hamas attacks. You know that CAIR has spent 31 years fighting terrorism and bigotry. You know that the terrorism boogeyman you invoke is nothing more than a tired, formulated playbook to stoke fear of Muslims,” added Marium Uddin of the Muslim Legal Defense Fund.
Leaders from other faith traditions, including Jewish advocates, also spoke out against Abbott’s designation.
“We stand steadfast in solidarity with our comrades in CAIR and in unwavering support in their lawsuit against Abbott’s false and unconstitutional proclamation,” said Jewish Voice for Peace representative Deborah Armintor.
State Rep. Terry Meza, a Democrat, argued that the governor’s rhetoric has real-world consequences, saying his words “are not just wrong, they’re dangerous. Making comments like this is dangerous to our Muslim community.”
The lawsuit is ongoing, and it remains uncertain whether a court will uphold Abbott’s order or rule that it exceeds the state’s authority.
Under the governor’s decree, CAIR is barred from purchasing land in Texas under a new statute intended to limit property acquisitions linked to “foreign adversaries.”
Abbott’s order also applies the “terrorist” label to the Muslim Brotherhood, even though the federal government has never classified either CAIR or the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations.
