By Rabia Iclal Turan
WASHINGTON (AA) - The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Florida) has vowed to fight Governor Ron DeSantis’ designation of the group as a “foreign terrorist organization,” saying the order is unlawful and represents an escalating attack on civil rights advocacy in the state.
“We will not back down. CAIR-Florida will file a lawsuit against Governor Ron DeSantis in response to his defamatory and unconstitutional order baselessly smearing CAIR-Florida,” interim executive director Hiba Rahim said at a press conference Tuesday in Florida.
She said the governor’s move follows a familiar political pattern used throughout US history to undermine marginalized communities — “the same playbook” once used against African Americans in the Civil Rights era and other minority groups — whenever people “stand up against injustice” and politicians resort to “false, baseless conspiracy theories.”
Rahim added that the governor has long prioritized “serving the Israeli government over serving the people of Florida,” noting past decisions including holding his “first official Cabinet meeting in Israel.”
“Floridians are suffering from a lack of health care, from food scarcity, from economic crises, from high rent…but our tax money is going to fuel a better quality of life for Israelis,” she said.
CAIR-Florida Policy Director Megan Amer said the executive order seeks to “create a scapegoat” and distract from “the current genocide going on in Gaza,” adding that CAIR-Florida works to protect the rights of all Floridians.
“As a Christian, I am completely appalled,” she said. “Governor DeSantis, you need to take a look back at your job description and determine what you’re supposed to be doing for Florida—and making the state of Florida better, not sowing division and hatred.”
Religious and civil liberties allies echoed that message. Reverend Andy Oliver of Allendale United Methodist Church said “Christians should recognize exactly what is happening. It’s fear-mongering…How can I proclaim to follow Jesus, a man executed by the state like those labeled threats, and stay silent while our Muslim neighbors are smeared? I can't. My faith won't let me.”
Ahmed Sharif of the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee in Tampa called the order “baseless, dangerous and fundamentally un-American,” while National Lawyers Guild attorney Miranda Margolis said the governor “does not have the legal authority to unilaterally declare any US-based nonprofit a terrorist organization.”
DeSantis defended the designation and said he welcomed the lawsuit.
CAIR, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Washington, DC, is the US’ largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group.