AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Several influential Republican lawmakers in the US Congress have asked the Donald Trump administration to review placing the organization "Council on American-Islamic Relations," active in the field of supporting Muslims' rights, on the list of foreign terrorist organizations. Senator "Ted Cruz" also last week called for this organization to be placed on this list.
According to a report by the news outlet "The Center Square," "Randy Fine," a Republican representative from Florida and the designer of a plan that obligates the US State Department to review whether the Council on American-Islamic Relations meets the necessary criteria for being placed on the list of foreign terrorist organizations, once again emphasized the necessity of passing his plan and claimed that this organization has ties to violent Muslim groups.
Fine told "The Center Square" on Wednesday, "This is a foreign terrorist organization. I mean, the Council on American-Islamic Relations was founded as the arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. This organization is a front for Hamas."
"Earl S. Buddy Carter," a Republican representative from Georgia, also said he agrees with Fine and Cruz's effort.
He told "The Center Square," "This is something that should be done."
The states of Texas and Florida had previously designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations as a terrorist group, but this organization has sued against this action, and the matter is now going through the judicial process in courts.
"Corey Saylor," the director of research and advocacy of this organization, did not respond to "The Center Square"'s request for comment.
Classification with Legal and Financial Consequences
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, founded in 1994, is a tax-exempt charitable organization under section 501(c)(3) of the US tax code and introduces itself as the largest American organization in the field of civil liberties, civil rights, and support for Muslims' rights.
Placing this organization on the list of foreign terrorist organizations could suspend its federal tax exemption, cause financial contributions to it to no longer be subject to tax deduction, freeze its assets, and make knowingly providing material support to it a federal crime.
At the Republican Party's midterm conference held on Sunday in the city of "Dallas," Senator Ted Cruz criticized what he called a red-green alliance between communists and Islamists. "Greg Abbott," the Governor of Texas, also pledged to completely ban Sharia law in this state.
Cruz, on Tuesday in a Senate Judiciary Committee session, in a conversation with "Kash Patel," the director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, asked the Trump administration to follow Abbott's action.
He said, "Texas, my home state, has designated them as a terrorist organization, and I ask the government to do the same. Focusing on threats and targeting them is the best way to keep America safe."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations has considered the Republicans' criticisms of this organization as examples of Islamophobia and McCarthyism and has condemned them.
Support for the Plan Remains Unclear
In April, "Chip Roy," a Republican representative from Texas, introduced a plan according to which the US Treasury Department would be obligated to designate the Council on American-Islamic Relations and organizations affiliated with it as specially designated global terrorists.
This plan has 16 supporters, all of whom are Republicans. This plan has not yet been put to a vote.
Roy will retire from his position at the end of the 119th Congress in early January. He competed in May for the Republican Party's nomination in the Texas Attorney General election but lost.
This effort has so far gained no Democratic support among lawmakers whom "The Center Square" contacted.
"Jamie Raskin," a Democratic representative from Maryland, said he is unaware of Fine's plan.
He asked, "Is a tax-exempt charitable organization going to be designated as a terrorist group?"
"Marc Veasey," a Democratic representative from Texas, said that although he condemns any group that supports the October 7, 2023 attacks in southern Israel, none of the people in his constituency have raised a complaint with him about the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Veasey told "The Center Square," "Their representatives have come to our office and cooperated with us, so we have no problem with them. Senator Cruz should first clean up his own house and condemn the Republican candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission."
Two Republican representatives in the House of Representatives also said they are not familiar with Fine's plan and Cruz's request.
"Glenn Grothman," a Republican representative from Wisconsin, said, "As a friend of Israel, I will seriously examine this plan."
"Thomas Massie," a Republican representative from Kentucky who lost his re-election after a dispute with Trump, said he has not yet taken a position on Fine's plan.
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