What is CAIR and Why Does It Matter

Segment #693

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a proclamation on Nov. 18 designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations—or CAIR—as both terrorist groups and criminal organizations. This means members conducting activities are now subject to higher penalties under Texas law. According to Abbott, it also restricts them from purchasing Texas land and grants the state the authority to begin legal action to shut the groups down.

Texas and other state‑level actions

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has taken a particularly aggressive stance, directing state agencies to treat CAIR as a “successor organization” to the Muslim Brotherhood and labeling it a foreign terrorist organization under provisions of Texas law, which can restrict activities such as buying land and trigger civil or criminal exposure. These state‑level designations reflect a political and legal position within that state, and CAIR has challenged them in federal court as unconstitutional and unsupported by evidence.ksstradio+3

Other states have not uniformly followed Texas’s path; most still treat CAIR as a conventional civil‑rights nonprofit, though local controversies around particular chapters or statements arise periodically.influencewatch+3

CAIR (the Council on American‑Islamic Relations) is a U.S. nonprofit civil‑rights and advocacy organization founded in 1994; it is legal under federal law, but it has been the subject of political controversy and government scrutiny, especially over alleged links to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Despite repeated accusations by some politicians and activists, the U.S. government has not designated CAIR itself as a terrorist organization at the federal level, though Texas has recently labeled it a “foreign terrorist organization” under state law.wikipedia+7

CAIR’s history and mission

CAIR was founded in June 1994 in Washington, D.C., originally emerging from Muslim community activists responding to Islamophobic portrayals and discrimination, and it has grown into a nationwide network of state and local chapters. Its stated mission is to defend civil rights, combat anti‑Muslim discrimination, and promote understanding of Islam, and it operates as a tax‑exempt nonprofit (typically described as a 501(c)(3)/501(c)(4) combination depending on chapter).cair+4

Legality and government scrutiny

CAIR is legally registered as a nonprofit advocacy and civil‑rights organization in the United States and continues to operate openly, including lobbying, litigation, and public advocacy. It has, however, faced significant federal scrutiny: during the Holy Land Foundation terrorism‑financing case, federal prosecutors listed CAIR as an “unindicted co‑conspirator,” and in 2008 the FBI cut off formal outreach ties to CAIR citing concerns arising from that case.facebook+4

More recently, figures such as Senator Tom Cotton and Texas officials have asked the IRS and Treasury to investigate or revoke CAIR’s tax‑exempt status, alleging that CAIR is tied to Islamist movements and supports extremist agendas; CAIR denies these claims and has defended its record in letters to federal agencies and in court. Importantly, these are allegations and political designations, not federal terrorism charges against the organization itself.religionnews+5

Allegations of terrorist alignment

There is much confusion about the nature and mission of the Muslim "human rights" organization CAIR, Council on American Islamic Relations.This short presentation begins an in-depth investigation by The United West into CAIR to properly expose CAIR as a terrorist organization. Though that may sound a bit "offensive" to some watch Tom Trento's presentation and examine the facts for yourself. The way we at The United West see it the answer is a simple,YES. CAIR is minimally a cultural terrorist organization (See Holy Land Foundation Trial). If you are a member of a terrorist organization, whether you like it or not, you are a terrorist. Stay tuned for regular expose' videos and shows that will persuade, on the facts, even the most skeptical that indeed CAIR is bad for America, bad for Israel, bad for the West and most of all, bad even for American Muslims! As always, we have a standing offer for ANY CAIR official to come on our show or engage us in a public forum to challenge our conclusions.So far, the CAIR folks have rejected our offer. We Look Forward To Your Responses.

Critics argue that CAIR grew out of or is aligned with networks linked to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, pointing to early‑1990s meetings involving future CAIR founders and individuals later associated with Hamas‑related entities, as well as evidence introduced in the Holy Land Foundation trial. In that litigation, an FBI agent described CAIR as a front for Hamas, and conservative watchdog groups have continued to present CAIR as part of a broader Islamist infrastructure in North America.investigativeproject+3

CAIR rejects these accusations, maintains that it opposes terrorism, and highlights actions such as organizing condemnations of extremist violence and issuing fatwas against terrorism, along with its focus on civil‑rights litigation and anti‑discrimination work in U.S. courts. No U.S. federal court has criminally convicted CAIR as an organization of terrorism‑related offenses, and it does not appear on the State Department’s foreign terrorist organization list.wikiwand+4

Federal vs. state laws and recognition

Federal law applies nationwide and covers issues like national security, immigration, and designation of foreign terrorist organizations; only the federal government (through agencies like the State Department and Treasury) can place an entity on the official U.S. terrorist lists that carry nationwide criminal and financial sanctions. State law, by contrast, applies only within that state’s borders and governs areas such as property, contracts, state tax benefits, and additional criminal or civil labels a state chooses to create, which may mirror or go beyond federal concepts but do not themselves change federal status.lawhelp+2

“Recognition” differs accordingly: federal recognition (for example, of a tribe, a foreign terrorist organization, or a tax‑exempt nonprofit status) has nationwide legal effect and often triggers specific federal rights and obligations, while state recognition or designation can affect what an entity can do in that state (such as owning land, accessing state benefits, or using certain legal statuses) without altering its status under federal law. If you want, the interaction between Texas’s terrorist label and CAIR’s federal nonprofit status can be unpacked in more detail, including what it would practically mean for any Texas‑based chapters.uscourts+3

Texas and other state‑level actions

CAIR’s history and mission

Legality and government scrutiny

Allegations of terrorist alignment

Federal vs. state laws and recognition

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