Muslim leaders demand Texas Gov. Abbott to reverse CAIR terrorist label

A group of Muslim and interfaith leaders is calling on Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to reverse his declaration designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a “foreign terrorist organization.”

Texas’ definition is at the state level only. It does not carry the legal force of a federal Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list, which only the U.S. State Department can issue. Therefore, Abbott’s declaration does not trigger federal terrorism penalties or authorities.

Leaders of several Muslim groups held a news conference Tuesday to denounce the governor’s announcement labeling CAIR a “transnational criminal organization.”

According to Fox 4, the groups called on the governor to retract his label of the civil rights group, calling it defamatory, subversive and dangerous.

MUSLIM CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP CAIR FILES TEXAS OVER ABBOTT’S ‘TERRORIST’ DESCRIPTION

This comes after CAIR filed a lawsuit against Texas over the governor’s declaration, arguing that it violated both the U.S. Constitution and state law.

CAIR argues that the order violates First Amendment rights and due process protections and exceeds Texas’ authority because definitions of terrorism fall under federal, not state, jurisdiction.

“The governor is seeking to punish the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization for failing to subscribe to its protected First Amendment rights to criticize a foreign state committing genocide. This not only violates the United States Constitution, but also finds no support in any Texas law,” Mustaffa Carroll, executive director of CAIR Dallas Fort Worth, said at a news conference Tuesday. he said.

Marium Uddin of the Muslim Legal Defense Fund said on Tuesday: “You know that CAIR condemns Hamas attacks. You know that CAIR has spent 31 years fighting terrorism and bigotry. You know that the bogeyman of terrorism you speak of is nothing more than a tired, formulaic playbook designed to stoke fear against Muslims.”

CAIR filed a lawsuit against Texas, arguing that the governor’s statement violated both the U.S. Constitution and state law. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Leaders from other faiths, including Jewish voices, also spoke out against Abbott’s label.

“We stand in solidarity with our comrades at CAIR and in our unwavering support of their lawsuit challenging Abbott’s false and unconstitutional declaration,” said Deborah Armintor of the Jewish Voice of Peace.

Democratic State Rep. Terry Meza added that the governor’s remarks “are not only wrong, they are dangerous. Making those kinds of comments is dangerous to our Muslim community.”

TEXAS ADMINISTRATOR ABBOTT DECLARED CAIR AND THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AS TERRORIST GROUPS AND BLOCKED THE PURCHASE OF LAND

Muslim groups called on the governor to withdraw his labeling of CAIR, calling it defamatory, subversive and dangerous. (Antranik Tavityan/Reuters)

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The case is ongoing, and it is not yet clear whether the court will uphold Abbott’s decision or strike it down as exceeding state authority.

Governor’s executive order bans CAIR from entering buy land Under a new law in the Lone Star State aimed at preventing acquisitions tied to “foreign enemies.”

Abbott’s order also applied the “terrorist” label to the Muslim Brotherhood, even though the federal government does not classify either group as such.