Texas Governor Designates Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as Terrorist Organizations

Texas Governor's Proclamation

• 🏛️ Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued a proclamation designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations.
• 📄 The proclamation, a multi-page document, outlines the governor's reasoning for these designations and details the intended impact.

CAIR's Response to Designation

• ❌ Edward Ahmed Mitchell, Deputy Director of CAIR, vehemently denies the accusations, calling them "completely false" and a "publicity stunt."
• ⚖️ Mitchell states that a court later ruled the claims used by the governor were improper and should not have been made, especially in the context of post-9/11 actions against American Muslim organizations.
• 🤝 He asserts that CAIR is an independent civil rights organization representing American people, not an agent or offshoot of any foreign entity.

Background on Designated Groups

• 🌍 The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt, gained influence after the Arab Spring and is associated with ideologies that spread to groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
• 🇺🇸 CAIR is an American-based civil rights group that has not been charged with crimes related to aiding terrorist organizations.
• 🔗 There has been no material tie established between the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR.

Impact and Legal Challenges

• 🚫 Governor Abbott stated the designation will ban these groups from acquiring land in Texas and authorize the attorney general to sue to shut them down.
• 🧑‍⚖️ CAIR's representative believes the proclamation lacks a basis in law and plans to take legal action if their rights are infringed upon.
• 🇺🇸 The designation of terrorist groups is typically the purview of the US State Department, not state governors.