Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday declared one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups in the US a \u201cforeign terrorist organization\u201d under a proclamation that he said allows the state to try shutting them down.<\/p>\n
He also designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations \u201ca transnational criminal organization\u201d and said it would not be allowed to buy land in the state. The proclamation also included the Muslim Brotherhood.<\/p>\n
Neither the CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood are designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the US government.<\/p>\n
CAIR told Abbott in a letter that his announcement had no basis \u201cin law or fact.\u201d The group accused his office of stoking \u201canti-Muslim hysteria.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou 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,\u201d wrote Robert S. McCaw, CAIR\u2019s government affairs director.<\/p>\n
Months ago, Texas Republicans moved aggressively to try to stop a Muslim-centered planned community around one of the state\u2019s largest mosques near Dallas. Abbott and other GOP state officials launched investigations into the development tied to the East Plano Islamic Center, saying the group is trying to create a Muslim-exclusive community that would impose Islamic law.<\/p>\n
EPIC City representatives called the attacks about Islamic law and other assertions misleading, dangerous and without merit. Earlier this year, the Justice Department closed a federal civil rights investigation into the planned community without filing any charges or lawsuits.<\/p>\n
In his proclamation, Abbott cited a law he signed this year that he said prohibits \u201cforeign adversaries\u201d from purchasing or acquiring land. The Republican author of that bill praised the governor\u2019s declaration.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday proves exactly why that law was needed,\u201d Republican state Rep. Cole Hefner posted on X.<\/p>\n
The Muslim Brotherhood was established in Egypt nearly a century ago and has branches across the world. Its leaders say it renounced violence decades ago and seeks to set up Islamic rule through elections and other peaceful means. Critics, including autocratic governments across the Mideast region, view it as a threat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday declared one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups in the US a \u201cforeign terrorist organization\u201d under a proclamation that he said allows the state to try shutting them down. He also designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations \u201ca transnational criminal organization\u201d and said it would […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":515424,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-515408","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n