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Group of Muslim and interfaith leaders call on Texas governor Greg AbbottRepublican, rescind his designation of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a “foreign terrorist organization.”
The Texas designation is only available at the state level. It does not have the legal force of the federal list of foreign terrorist organizations (FTO), which can only be published by the US State Department. Therefore, Abbott's announcement does not trigger federal or terrorism sanctions.
Leaders of several Muslim groups held a news conference Tuesday to denounce the governor's announcement, which also called CAIR a “transnational criminal organization.”
The groups called on the governor to stop labeling the civil rights group as libelous, destructive and dangerous, according to Fox 4.
MUSLIM CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP CAIR SUES TEXAS FOR CALLING ABBOTT A 'TERRORIST'
Muslim and interfaith leaders are calling on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to rescind his announcement designating CAIR a terrorist organization. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
This comes after CAIR filed a lawsuit against Texas over the governor's statement, arguing it violates both the U.S. Constitution and state law.
CAIR argues that the order violates its First Amendment rights and due process rights, and that Texas exceeded its authority because the definition of terrorism falls under federal, not state, jurisdiction.
“The Governor is attempting to punish the nation's largest Muslim human rights and advocacy organization simply because he disagrees with its First Amendment rights to criticize a foreign government that is committing genocide. Not only is this contrary to the United States Constitution, but it is not supported by any Texas law,” said Mustafa Carroll, executive director of CAIR Dallas Fort Worth, at a press conference Tuesday.
“You know that CAIR condemned the Hamas attacks. You know that CAIR has spent 31 years fighting terrorism and bigotry. You know that the terrorist monster you are talking about is nothing more than an outdated, worded book designed to incite fear of Muslims,” Marium Uddin of the Muslim Legal Defense Fund said on Tuesday.
CAIR has filed a lawsuit against Texas over the governor's statement, arguing it violates both the U.S. Constitution and state law. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Leaders from other faithsincluding Jewish voices, also spoke out against Abbott's label.
“We stand in strong solidarity with our comrades at CAIR and unwaveringly support their lawsuit against Abbott’s false and unconstitutional statement,” said Deborah Armintor of Jewish Voice for Peace.
State Representative Terry Meza, a Democrat, added that the governor's words “are not just wrong, they are dangerous. Such comments are dangerous for our Muslim community.”
Texas Gov. Abbott Designates CAIR and Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Groups Preventing Land Purchase
Muslim groups called on the governor to reject the CAIR label, calling it slanderous, destructive and dangerous. (Antranik Tavityan/Reuters)
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The lawsuit is ongoing, and it remains unclear whether the court will uphold Abbott's order or strike it down as an overreach of government power.
Governor's Executive Order Bans CAIR purchase of 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 include the Muslim Brotherhood, even though the federal government has never classified either group that way.
