Texas governor declares one among America’s largest Muslim civil rights group a terrorist group | EUROtoday

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared one of many largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy teams within the US, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a ‘overseas terrorist group’ and a ‘transnational felony group’.

He acknowledged this proclamation would enable the state to try to close down the group and forestall it from buying land inside Texas.

The Muslim Brotherhood was additionally included on this designation.

However, neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood are formally designated as overseas terrorist organisations by the US authorities.

CAIR instructed Abbott in a letter that his announcement had no foundation “in law or fact.” The group accused his office of stoking “anti-Muslim hysteria.”

“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,” wrote Robert S. McCaw, CAIR’s government affairs director.

Months ago, Texas Republicans moved aggressively to try to stop a Muslim-centered planned community around one of the state’s 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.

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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.

In his proclamation, Abbott cited a law he signed this year that he said prohibits “foreign adversaries” from buying or buying land. The Republican creator of that invoice praised the governor’s declaration.

“Today proves exactly why that law was needed,” Republican state Rep. Cole Hefner posted on X.

The Muslim Brotherhood was established in Egypt practically a century in the past and has branches internationally. Its leaders say it renounced violence many years in the past and seeks to arrange Islamic rule by way of elections and different peaceable means. Critics, together with autocratic governments throughout the Mideast area, view it as a menace.