In a controversial move that has ignited a fierce debate on civil liberties, the Republican Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, has formally designated one of the United States' largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups as a "foreign terrorist organisation."
The proclamation, signed on Tuesday, 19th November 2024, targets the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and also includes the Muslim Brotherhood. Governor Abbott stated this action empowers the state to attempt to shut down the groups and prevents them from purchasing land within Texas.
Legal Basis and Immediate Backlash
The governor's declaration stands in stark contrast to the position of the US federal government, which does not designate either CAIR or the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organisations. In a swift and forceful response, CAIR accused Governor Abbott's office of having no legal or factual basis for the proclamation.
Robert S. McCaw, CAIR’s government affairs director, wrote a letter to the governor, stating, "You do not have the authority to unilaterally declare any Americans or American institutions terrorist groups, nor is there any basis to level this smear against our organization." The group condemned the move as an attempt to stoke "anti-Muslim hysteria."
Context and Previous Tensions
This proclamation follows months of aggressive action by Texas Republicans against a Muslim-centred planned community near Dallas, associated with the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC). State officials, including Abbott, launched investigations, alleging the development aimed to create an exclusive community that would impose Islamic law.
Representatives for EPIC City called these assertions misleading, dangerous, and without merit. Earlier this year, the US Justice Department closed a federal civil rights investigation into the planned community without filing any charges.
Political Support and Broader Implications
Governor Abbott justified his proclamation by citing a state law he signed this year, which he claims prohibits "foreign adversaries" from acquiring land. Republican state Representative Cole Hefner, the author of that bill, praised the governor's declaration, posting on X, "Today proves exactly why that law was needed."
The move places a spotlight on the Muslim Brotherhood, an organisation established in Egypt nearly a century ago. While its leaders state it renounced violence decades ago and seeks Islamic rule through peaceful means, it is viewed as a threat by several governments across the Middle East.
This unprecedented state-level designation of a domestic civil rights group raises significant questions about the boundaries of state power and the protection of religious minorities in the United States.
