In a controversial and unprecedented move, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as “terrorist” and “transnational criminal organisations.” The proclamation effectively bans both groups—and anyone connected to them—from purchasing land in Texas.
What makes the move even more contentious is that neither group is listed as a terrorist organisation by the U.S. federal government, which alone holds the authority to issue such designations.
CAIR, the country’s largest Muslim civil rights group, condemned Abbott’s order as unconstitutional and a blatant act of Islamophobia. The organisation said the governor is using conspiracy-driven narratives to target Muslim communities and vows to challenge any attempt to turn this proclamation into enforceable policy.
The announcement is closely linked to the political uproar over EPIC City, a Muslim-led housing development near Dallas that Republican officials have opposed, citing unsubstantiated claims about “Sharia compounds.” Federal civil rights investigators eventually dismissed concerns surrounding the project without finding wrongdoing.
Critics warn that branding CAIR as tied to the Muslim Brotherhood revives a discredited tactic used to weaken Muslim community institutions and restrict their rights to organise or own property.
While some Republican lawmakers praised the decision as a step toward protecting state security, Muslim representative Salman Bhojani condemned it as a direct attack on religious freedom, urging Abbott to reverse what he called a discriminatory proclamation.
Legal experts argue Abbott’s move raises serious constitutional concerns, as states cannot independently designate foreign terrorist organisations. Civil rights groups fear the decision marks a new wave of Islamophobic policymaking that threatens the civil liberties of Muslim Texans.
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