Share and Follow
On Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took a bold step by labeling one of the nation’s most prominent Muslim civil rights organizations as a “foreign terrorist organization.”
TAMPA, Fla. — In a swift response, the Muslim civil rights group and its Florida chapter issued a defiant retort to the governor’s designation, stating, “See you in court.”
This controversial move by Gov. DeSantis targets the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a leading Muslim civil rights and advocacy group in the United States. This action mirrors a similar decision made by Texas the previous month.
DeSantis’ declaration, shared through an executive order on the social media platform X, also extends the “foreign terrorist organization” label to the Muslim Brotherhood.
It’s important to note that, as of now, neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood has been classified as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. federal government.
The order instructs Florida agencies to prevent the two groups and those who have provided them material support from receiving contracts, employment and funds from a state executive or cabinet agency.
Through a joint statement, CAIR and CAIR-Florida responded to DeSantis, stating: “Ron DeSantis is an Israel First politician who wants to smear and silence Americans, especially American Muslims, critical of U.S. support for Israel’s war crimes.”
“Governor DeSantis knows full well that CAIR-Florida is an American civil rights organization,” CAIR and its Florida chapter stated. “We look forward to defeating Governor DeSantis’ latest Israel First stunt in a court of law, where facts matter and conspiracy theories have no weight.”
In an emailed statement to the Associated Press, CAIR and its Florida chapter said the organization plans to sue DeSantis in response to what it called an “unconstitutional” and “defamatory” proclamation.
Founded in 1994, CAIR has 25 chapters around the country.
CAIR last month asked a federal judge to strike down Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s proclamation, saying in a lawsuit that it was “not only contrary to the United States Constitution, but finds no support in any Texas law.”
The Muslim Brotherhood was established in Egypt nearly a century ago and has branches around the world. Its leaders say it renounced violence decades ago and seeks to set up Islamic rule through elections and other peaceful means. Critics, including autocratic governments across the Middle East region, view it as a threat.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
