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

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

The Texas designation applies only at the state level. It does not have the legal force of a federal foreign terrorist organization (FTO) list, which only the U.S. State Department can issue. Abbott’s proclamation therefore does not result in federal terrorism sanctions or authorities.

Leaders of several Muslim groups held a press conference Tuesday to denounce the governor’s proclamation, which also calls CAIR a “transnational criminal organization.”

The groups called on the governor to remove his labeling of the civil rights group, calling it defamatory, destructive and dangerous, according to Fox 4.

MUSLIM CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP CAIR SUES TEXAS OVER ABBOTT’S “TERRORIST” DESIGNATION

Muslim and interfaith leaders are urging Texas Governor Greg Abbott to reverse his proclamation designating CAIR as a terrorist organization. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

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

CAIR argues that the order violates First Amendment rights and due process rights, and that Texas has exceeded its authority because terrorism designations are under federal, not state, jurisdiction.

“The governor is attempting to punish the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization simply because he disagrees with the First Amendment’s protected right to criticize a foreign state that is committing genocide. This is not only contrary to the United States Constitution, but finds no support in any Texas law,” Mustaffa Carroll, executive director of CAIR Dallas Fort Worth, said at Tuesday’s press conference.

“You know that CAIR has condemned Hamas attacks. You know that CAIR has spent 31 years fighting terrorism and intolerance. You know that the bogeyman of terrorism you invoke is nothing more than a hackneyed playbook formulated to stoke fear of Muslims,” ​​Marium Uddin of the Muslim Legal Defense Fund said Tuesday.

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

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

“We stand in strong solidarity with our comrades at CAIR and provide unwavering support in their lawsuit against Abbott’s false and unconstitutional proclamation,” said Deborah Armintor of Jewish Voice for Peace.

State Rep. Terry Meza, a Democrat, added that the governor’s comments “are not only false, they are dangerous. Making comments like this are dangerous for our Muslim community.”

TEXAS GOVERNMENT ABBOTT DECLARES CAIR, MUSLIM BROTHERS AS TERRORIST GROUPS, PREVENTING LAND PURCHASES

Muslim groups have called on the governor to remove his characterization of CAIR, calling it defamatory, destructive and dangerous. (Antranik Tavitien/Reuters)

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The lawsuit is ongoing and it remains unclear whether a court will uphold Abbott’s order or vacate it for overreach.

The governor’s executive order prohibits CAIR from buy land in the Lone Star State, under a new law aimed at limiting purchases linked to “foreign adversaries.”

Abbott’s order also extended the “terrorist” label to the Muslim Brotherhood, although the federal government has never classified either group that way.