FLORIDA: Governor Ron DeSantis directed state agencies to classify the Council on American Islamic Relations as a foreign terrorist organization. The order also places the Muslim Brotherhood under the same label. The directive blocks both groups, along with anyone who supported them, from receiving state contracts, employment or funding.
The executive order was released on X. The action follows a similar move by Texas last month. Neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood is listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States government.
CAIR and its Florida chapter responded through an emailed statement. They said they intend to sue the governor. They described the order as unconstitutional and defamatory. The organization was founded in 1994 and has 25 chapters across the country.
CAIR already filed a lawsuit in Texas. The group asked a federal judge to strike down Governor Greg Abbott’s proclamation. The filing said the Texas order had no basis in the Constitution or in state law.
The Muslim Brotherhood was started in Egypt nearly one hundred years ago. It has branches in several countries. Its leaders say the movement renounced violence decades ago and seeks to build Islamic governance through elections and peaceful civic work. Critics in several Middle Eastern governments view the group as a political threat.
Civil rights advocates in the United States say the latest state orders increase pressure on Muslim communities. They argue that these designations target organizations that work on discrimination cases and community outreach.
