TEXAS: In a highly unusual and politically charged move, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as “terrorist organizations” and “transnational criminals,” effectively banning both groups and anyone associated with them from purchasing land in the state.
The statement was made despite the fact that neither the Muslim Brotherhood nor CAIR appear on the US government's official list of terrorist organizations. CAIR, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights group, condemned Abbott's action as baseless, unconstitutional and an open display of Islamophobia.
The organization accused the governor of weaponizing conspiracy theories to attack Muslim communities, warning that any attempt to formalize this proclamation into policy would face a legal challenge.
Observers say the governor's announcement cannot be separated from the controversy surrounding EPIC City, a proposed Muslim-led residential development near Dallas.
Abbott and other Republican officials had previously opposed the bill, passing legislation against so-called “Sharia compounds,” despite the absence of any evidence suggesting the bill sought to impose Islamic law or operate outside of state regulations. Federal civil rights investigators also closed their investigation into the project without filing charges.
Critics argue that linking CAIR to the Muslim Brotherhood revives a long-discredited narrative used to undermine the institutions of the Muslim community and restrict their right to organize or own property collectively.
Republican state Rep. Cole Hefner welcomed Abbott's decision, calling it necessary “to keep the state safe.” But Texas state Rep. Salman Bhojani, one of the few Muslim lawmakers in the state, denounced the move as an attack on religious freedom.
He said Texas Muslims deserve the same dignity, trust and civil liberties as any other community, and urged the governor to reverse what he called a harmful and discriminatory proclamation.
Abbott's appointment has intensified fears among civil rights advocates, who warn that the move could pave the way for further restrictions on Muslim civic life in Texas.
Legal experts maintain that the authority to classify groups as foreign terrorist organizations rests exclusively with the federal government, raising serious constitutional questions about the governor's unilateral declaration.
Muslim organizations and human rights groups say the proclamation reflects a growing political effort to marginalize Muslims under the guise of state security, marking what they describe as a troubling new chapter in Islamophobic policymaking in the United States.
