Muslim Organizations Seek to Stop Abbott's Terrorist Designation in Court

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) filed a lawsuit to suspend the proclamation signed this week by the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, which classifies both this organization and the Muslim Brotherhood as entities linked to foreign terrorism.

The appeal was filed by CAIR's legal team and the Muslim Legal Fund of America. Both organizations are requesting that a court prevent the proclamation from going into effect while assessing whether the designation can be sustained within the state's legal framework.

Arguments of the plaintiffs

In the statement announcing the legal action, CAIR noted that the state order could create immediate consequences for its operations in Texas. Litigation director Lena Masri recalled that the organization had previously challenged state measures related to its public activity.

During a virtual conference, CAIR's Deputy National Director, Edward Ahmed Mitchell, reiterated his disagreement with the classification made by Texas and affirmed that they will ask the court to halt any attempt to apply it while the process moves forward.

Contents of the proclamation signed by Abbott

The document issued by the Governor's Office places CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood in a state category that identifies organizations related to foreign terrorism and transnational criminal activity. With that designation, both entities would be barred from acquiring or owning land within Texas.

"The actions taken by the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR to support terrorism across the globe and subvert our laws through violence, intimidation, and harassment are unacceptable. Today, I designated the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations. These radical extremists are not welcome in our state and are now prohibited from acquiring any real property interest in Texas," Abbott said.

The proclamation does not yet detail the implementation mechanisms or which state agencies will be responsible for overseeing compliance.