Florida Classifies CAIR as A ‘Security Threat’

By Al Ahed Staff, Agencies

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations [CAIR], a US-based Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, as a “foreign terrorist organization”, posting the executive order on social media Monday.

The move follows a similar declaration by the Republican governor of Texas last month. CAIR has rejected the labelling by both states and mounted legal challenges.

In a separate post, DeSantis asserted that the Florida Legislature is “crafting legislation to stop the creep of Sharia law, and I hope that they codify these protections for Floridians against CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood in their legislation”.

The designation, which triggers heightened oversight by state law enforcement agencies and establishes financial and operational restrictions, was also declared against the Muslim Brotherhood.

DeSantis’s order asserted that CAIR was “founded by persons connected to the Muslim Brotherhood”, which, without offering evidence, the governor asserted was attempting to establish “a world-wide Islamic caliphate”.

The order instructs Florida agencies to prevent the two groups and those who have provided them with material support from receiving contracts, employment and funds from a state executive or cabinet agency.

Neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the US government. However, President Donald Trump has initiated a process to label the Muslim Brotherhood’s branches in the region as “terrorist” organizations, citing their alleged support for Hamas.

CAIR’s Florida chapter told The Associated Press news agency that it plans to sue DeSantis in response to what it called an “unconstitutional” and “defamatory” proclamation.

CAIR accused Florida Governor Ron DeSantis of prioritizing foreign interests and targeting the group for its civil rights work. “From the moment Ron DeSantis took office as Florida governor, he has prioritized serving the 'Israeli' [government] over serving the people of Florida,” the group said, highlighting his actions against CAIR and pro-Palestine student groups.

Founded in 1994, CAIR has 25 chapters around the country. Last month, it asked a federal judge to strike down the designation declared against it by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

In a lawsuit, CAIR said Abbott’s move was “not only contrary to the United States Constitution, but finds no support in any Texas law”.

On Monday, it said DeSantis and Abbott are both “'Israel' First politicians” and asserted that their designations are intended to silence American Muslims critical of US support for "Israeli" war crimes.