Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on Monday designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), one of the largest Muslim civil rights groups in the US, and the Muslim Brotherhood as “foreign terrorist organizations.” This move follows a similar action taken by Texas last month.
The directive was announced via an executive order posted by Governor DeSantis on social media site X.
Impact of the Order
The executive order instructs Florida state executive and cabinet agencies to prevent CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood, and anyone who has provided them with material support from receiving the following:
- State contracts
- State employment
- State funds
Crucially, neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government.
CAIR Promises Legal Action
CAIR and its Florida chapter quickly responded, calling DeSantis’s proclamation “unconstitutional” and “defamatory.” The organization, which was founded in 1994 and has 25 chapters across the country, announced its plan to sue Governor DeSantis.
The action in Florida comes after CAIR filed a lawsuit last month asking a federal judge to strike down a similar proclamation issued by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, arguing the Texas directive was “contrary to the United States Constitution.”
Background on the Muslim Brotherhood
The Muslim Brotherhood was established nearly a century ago in Egypt. While its leaders claim the organization renounced violence decades ago and seeks Islamic rule through peaceful means like elections, critics—including various autocratic Middle Eastern governments—view it as a threat.