Washington – Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order yesterday, Tuesday, which states that the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) are designated as foreign terrorist groups and transnational criminal organizations.
The ruling would ban the two parties from buying or selling land in the state, and the ruling would allow the state attorney general to file a lawsuit to shut them down and possibly fine those involved in them.
The decision by Abbott, a Republican close to President Donald Trump, concerned the Muslim Brotherhood’s support for groups such as the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which is classified as a terrorist organization by the US State Department.
were charged
The ruling noted that several Arab and Islamic countries have designated the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, and those countries have already imposed restrictions on the group’s local affiliates. The ruling also describes CAIR as affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and operating as an effective front for Hamas in America.
Abbott accused CAIR of trying to spread Islamic law in the United States by infiltrating public offices and other areas of public life. He also accused the organization of promoting and financing terrorism.
CARE responded in a statement published on Platform X, where it accused the Texas governor of following orders from Israel and donors to AIPAC, the largest Jewish lobby organization in America.
Unlike Mr. Abbott, who abused Texas students protesting the Gaza genocide to satisfy his AIPAC funders, our civil rights organization is an independent and accountable voice to the American people, dependent on their support and opposing all forms of unjust violence, including hate crimes, ethnic cleansing, genocide, and terrorism.
Kerr sent a letter to the state’s governor, reminding him that he had defeated him in federal court the last three times he tried to infringe on First Amendment freedom of speech to protect the Israeli government from criticism. The organization has once again confirmed that it is ready to win again “God willing” in court and respond to his defamatory, illegal ploy.
US law, specifically the Immigration and Nationality Act, only authorizes the US Secretary of State to formally designate foreign terrorist organizations after consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, and the process requires notification to Congress and publication in the Federal Register.
Thus, this designation does not carry any of the federal consequences, asset-freezing powers, or criminal penalties under federal material support laws that accompany terrorist designations of groups at the national federal level.
The impact of Abbott’s decision is limited to law enforcement in Texas, and the state attorney general has the authority to prosecute organizations deemed to be affiliated with CAIR or the Muslim Brotherhood. The governor did not specify how he would determine the relationship between the two groups or what executive action he plans to take to implement the decision.
An estimated 400,000 Muslims live in the state of Texas, which has a population of about 30 million people.
in support of Israel
The attacks, classified as terrorist acts by the security authorities, led to the re-introduction of the initiative “to classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization”.
These attacks have targeted Jewish people, whether at the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., which killed two Israeli embassy workers, or the attack in Colorado, where 12 people were burned to death among those who gathered in support of Israeli prisoners and detainees held by Hamas in Gaza.
Sen. Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, has renewed his efforts, as he has previously introduced a number of bills over the past decade without success. He introduced a draft resolution in Congress to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group, without much response from members of the House, and attempts by members of the House of Representatives to pass similar bills.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a candidate for Texas attorney general, praised the decision, saying he would implement it if elected and that CAIR should also be banned at the federal level.
Implementation challenges
While efforts to list the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as terrorist groups at the federal level have not stopped, whether in Congress or the White House, there have been renewed calls to do so from key supporters of Israel since Trump’s return last January.
The designation of the entire Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) poses a formidable challenge to the forces that seek it.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last August that while the Brotherhood was a “serious concern”, the terrorist designation process at the federal level could be hampered by legal requirements requiring the US government to submit documents and compelling evidence to the courts.
On the other hand, in theory, the president could target the Muslim Brotherhood with a new independent executive order, but the US administration seems content to rely on existing anti-terrorism laws for any activities related to terrorism or its support and financing.
If the Brotherhood is classified as a terrorist group, it would make it the target of immediate US sanctions and restrictions, including travel bans and legal restrictions. American citizens are prohibited from financing any of the group’s activities, inside or outside the United States, and banks are prohibited from having any financial transactions with it, in addition to barring individuals associated with the brothers from entering the United States.
US law requires three conditions for any group or organization to be classified as a terrorist entity:
- The organization must be non-US.
- Engage in activities and operations or have the capability and intent to commit terrorist acts.
- These acts of terrorism threaten America’s national security and the safety of American citizens.
The classification also requires the US Secretary of State to publish his decision in this regard in the Official Gazette. However, it has the right not to publish the reasons for the classification because they are “national security secrets”, and an organization classified as a terrorist has the right to challenge it in Washington courts.
When introducing legislation in Congress, the Secretary of State must certify to his members that a “group or organization” meets the criteria necessary to be classified as a terrorist group.
Therefore, the decision of the governor of Texas raises many legal problems that may face the American judicial system.
