Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) on Tuesday designated the Muslim Brotherhood and the Center for American Islamic Relations as “radical extremist” foreign terrorist organizations.
The designation permits authorities to increase surveillance on the organizations and their affiliates, and permanently bans them from purchasing or acquiring land in the state.
“The Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR have long made their goals clear: to forcibly impose sharia law and establish Islam’s ‘mastership of the world,’” Abbott said.
Right-wing politicians widely criticize sharia law for its discrimination against women and other religions, requirement of male guardianship, limited divorce and custody rights, unequal inheritance rights, low age of consent, cruel and unusual punishment, suppressed freedom of expression, genital mutilation surgeries, and contradictions to many amendments in the U.S. Constitution.
“The actions taken by the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR to support terrorism across the globe and subvert our laws through violence, intimidation, and harassment are unacceptable,” the governor added. “These radical extremists are not welcome in our state and are now prohibited from acquiring any real property interest in Texas.”
The governor’s declaration adds to his list of efforts to push back on the advancement of sharia law in Texas. In September, Abbot spoke out against a member of CAIR who coerced Muslim-owned businesses in Houston to follow sharia law.
“To be clear, Texas law and Texas courts govern those businesses and those neighborhoods,” Abbott said. “No ranting imam can change that.”
After the Department of Justice and top state officials investigated a North Texas housing development known as EPIC City, Abbott signed Texas House Bill 4211 into law, which blocked developers from “creating sharia compounds and endangering Texans.”
The governor defined sharia law as a religious framework that requires people “to comply with either the rules of sharia, the rules of Islam, [or] the rules of a local mosque.”
He then added that the only thing Texans should comply with is the “Texas Constitution,” which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion — period.”
In a social media post, the governor urged his followers to report “ANYONE” who “attempts to impose Sharia compliance” to law enforcement.
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The governor’s proclamation adds to nationwide efforts by other Republican lawmakers, such as Rep. Chip Roy (TX), Sen. Tommy Tuberville (AL), and Sen. Tom Cotton (AR), to voice and introduce legislation addressing the growing concerns over the advancement of sharia law in the United States.
Left-wing politicians have equated the lawmakers’ efforts with fearmongering without evidence.
