Texas Governor Abbott designates CAIR and Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations

The governor of Texas. Greg Abbott on Tuesday designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations, blocking both groups from obtaining land in the Lone Star State.

Abbott said in a statement that he made the decision because “the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR have long made clear their goals: to impose Sharia law by force and establish Islamic ‘world control.’

“The actions taken by the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR to support terrorism around the world and subvert our laws through violence, intimidation and harassment are unacceptable. Today, I designated the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations,” Abbott added. “These radical extremists are not welcome in our state and are now prohibited from acquiring real estate interests in Texas.”

A proclamation signed by Abbott states that CAIR “is an Islamist organization which, according to Federal Bureau of Investigationwas founded as a “front group” for “Hamas and its support network” in the United States. »

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Texas Governor Greg Abbott is seen November 14, 2025 in Midlothian, Texas. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

It adds that “CAIR and its members have repeatedly employed, affiliated and supported individuals promoting terrorism-related activities,” including Ghassan Elashi, a founding member of CAIR’s Texas chapter and treasurer of the charity Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development “who was sentenced to a total of 65 years in prison for financing terrorism in 2009.”

The proclamation also states that Hamas was “formed in 1987 as the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood” and that “the activities of branches of the Muslim Brotherhood have also been limited or prohibited by the governments of Austria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, in light of the Muslim Brotherhood engaging in terrorism or attempting to destabilize those countries.” »

In a statement to Fox News Digital, CAIR describes itself as “an independent American civil rights organization that has spent 30 years protecting free speech, advancing religious freedom, and promoting justice for people here and abroad.”

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“We have always condemned all forms of unjust violence, including hate crimes, ethnic cleansing, genocide and terrorism. In fact, we condemn terrorism so often that ISIS once targeted our national executive director,” the organization said.

Supporters of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood take part in a protest in the village of Sweimeh, near Jordan’s border with the occupied West Bank, May 21, 2021. (Khalil Mazraawi/AFP via Getty Images)

“While we are flattered by Greg Abbott’s obsession with our civil rights organization, his publicity stunt disguised as a proclamation has no basis in fact or law. By defaming an important American Muslim institution with debunked conspiracy theories and fabricated quotes, Mr. Abbott has once again shown that his top priority is promoting anti-Muslim bigotry, not serving the people of Texas,” he added. “The truth is that Mr. Abbott is an Israeli-first politician who has spent months stoking anti-Muslim hysteria to vilify American Muslims critical of the Israeli government.”

CAIR also stated: “We have successfully prosecuted Greg Abbott three times for shredding the First Amendment for the benefit of the Israeli government, and we are ready to do it again if they try to turn this publicity stunt into real policy. »

Texas Governor Greg Abbott arrives during a press conference for Eli Lilly and Company in Houston, Texas September 23, 2025. (Antranik Tavitien/Reuters)

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The Muslim Brotherhood did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.