CAIR sues Gov. Abbott over Texas proclamation banning Muslim groups from owning land
The fight between Gov. Greg Abbott and one of Texas' most prominent Muslim civil rights organizations is escalating.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations announced it has filed a federal lawsuit against Abbott to block the enforcement of a proclamation he issued earlier this week. The proclamation bans CAIR and The Muslim Brotherhood from owning land in Texas and designates them as terrorist organizations.
On Friday, joined by other Texas Muslim organizations, CAIR said it is standing up for what it calls an attack on civil rights.
"We are not and will not be intimidated by smear campaigns launched by politicians like Mr. Abbott," said Imran Ghani, with CAIR's Houston chapter. "Mr. Abbott is defaming us and other American Muslims because we are effective advocates for justice here and abroad."
Governor accuses groups of supporting terrorism
Abbott accuses the organizations of supporting terrorism and undermining Texas law through harassment, intimidation, and violence. Organizers said the issue is not only about Muslims, but about all Americans. This marks the third time the group has sued the governor.
"This designation is unconstitutional, unsupported by any credible factual base,s and represents bigotry on its face," said Murtaza Sutarwalla, with the Muslim Bar Association of Houston.
Largest Muslim civil rights group in U.S.
CAIR, founded in 1994, is the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the country. Abbott dismissed the federal lawsuit when asked about it Thursday.
"That's about the lamest lawsuit I've ever seen," he told reporters.
Abbott defends proclamation citing state law
Abbott said his proclamation is about preventing organizations from imposing Sharia law. Earlier this week, he urged local authorities to investigate "Sharia courts" and directed the Department of Public Safety to launch criminal investigations into CAIR and The Muslim Brotherhood.
"This goes back a long time and goes back to a law that I signed in 2017, that made clear in family court situations, that Sharia law is not allowed in the state of Texas, only Texas law and Texas courts decide cases in legal matters in our state, period," Abbott said. "The second is we've been involved in the investigation of EPIC city, right near where we are right now, and that's been ongoing for several years. They had created a compound that was going to be Muslim only, and that is religious discrimination, and that's not allowed in the state of Texas."