Muslim Group Threatens With Lawsuit After Florida Gov. DeSantis Designates It as a Foreign Terrorist Organization

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that his administration had issued an executive order designating two Muslim organizations, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Society of Muslim Brothers (Muslim Brotherhood), as foreign terrorist organizations.

DeSantis' order said both groups have alleged ties to foreign extremist organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah. The executive order, titled Protecting Floridians from Radical Islamic Terrorist Organizations, cited DeSantis' "constitutional duty" to maintain public safety and to "prevent unlawful activities in Florida" by the designated groups.

Under the order, Florida agencies are directed to "undertake all lawful measures to prevent unlawful activities by these organizations, including denying privileges or resources to anyone providing material support," DeSantis wrote in a post on X.

Last month, Abbott issued similar designations in Texas, prohibiting CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood from acquiring or purchasing property. Abbott's order said the organizations had supported terrorism abroad and emphasized that radical extremist groups are "not welcome in our state."

DeSantis' executive order instructs Florida's Executive and Cabinet agencies to prevent anyone known to have provided material support or resources to CAIR or the Muslim Brotherhood from receiving state contracts, employment, funds, or other benefits.

The order also directs the Domestic Security Oversight Council to review existing policies and authorities and submit recommendations for additional action to help address perceived threats from the organizations.

As reported by the Miami Herald, the executive order comes amid other Florida political actions that critics describe as anti-Muslim.

In October, state Rep. Hillary Casset filed a bill known as the "No Shari'a Act," which would prevent Florida courts and state agencies from taking Shari'a law into account in legal decisions. Shari'a law is a system of religious rules derived from the Quran and Islamic teachings that governs aspects of daily life, family matters, and personal conduct for Muslims.

Last month, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier weighed in on the issue, claiming that school vouchers, which parents can use to attend private religious schools, pose a national security threat and violate state law when applied to private Islamic schools.

Writing on social media, Uthmeier said, "Sharia law seeks to destroy and supplant the pillars of our republican form of government and is incompatible with the Western tradition."

DeSantis' order also referenced past legal cases, noting that CAIR, which has a chapter in Florida, was named in the early 2000s as an unindicted co-conspirator in a terrorism financing case involving the Holy Land Foundation, a Muslim charity that disbanded in 2001.

The designation was immediately challenged by CAIR, which stated on its website that the organization has never been charged with a crime and that the Holy Land case was "an unproven allegation with no weight and no consequence."

CAIR also threatened a lawsuit against DeSantis, calling the executive order "defamatory and unconstitutional."

"Governor DeSantis knows full well that CAIR-Florida is an American civil rights organization that has spent decades advancing free speech, religious freedom, and justice for all, including for the Palestinian people," CAIR National and CAIR-Florida said in a joint statement, as reported by the Miami Herald. "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."

On Dec. 9, DeSantis told reporters he welcomed the lawsuit, saying it would allow the state to subpoena CAIR's bank records. He also suggested officials could codify the issue into a state statute in the upcoming legislative session, adding that the executive order is "just the beginning."

CAIR has consistently denied any ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, describing such claims as "guilt by association."

"We are not linked to any external movement, entity, party, or government," CAIR wrote on its website. "The Muslim Brotherhood affects CAIR the way a dust storm on Mars impacts the weather in Washington, D.C. The two might exist in the same solar system, but neither has any impact on or relationship with the other," the statement read.