AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): City officials in Austin, Texas, have designated January 22 as “CAIR - Austin Day,” a move that has triggered political and legal backlash amid past allegations leveled against the Muslim civil rights organization.
The local observance was announced on Thursday during a ceremony at Austin City Hall, where officials praised the civic and social work of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a nonprofit advocacy group for the rights of American Muslims. Representatives of the organization described the decision as a significant step for the Muslim community in Austin and across Texas.
The announcement comes roughly two months after Texas Governor Greg Abbott publicly labeled CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as “terrorist organizations” under state law. In a statement at the time, the governor described CAIR as a “successor organization” to the Muslim Brotherhood and cited an FBI assessment characterizing the group as a front for a support network linked to the Palestinian group Hamas.
Following that designation, CAIR offices in Austin and Dallas–Fort Worth filed a lawsuit against the governor and the Texas attorney general, arguing that the move violated constitutional protections for free speech and freedom of association. The suit seeks to halt enforcement of the designation and to obtain damages. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton responded by saying the designation was a lawful security measure aimed at protecting state residents.
At the same time, several state officials, including the Texas agriculture commissioner, sharply criticized Austin’s decision. CAIR, for its part, has rejected any links to terrorist organizations, describing itself as a human rights group that condemns violence and terrorism.
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