UPDATE (12/09):On Tuesday, December 9th, CAIR responded to Governor DeSantis' designation of labeling them as a terrorist organization. They sent him a letter saying in part that he doesn't, <i>have the constitutional auth ority to unilaterally declare any Americans or American institutions foreign terrorist groups</i> nor <i>is there any basis to level this smear against our organization</i>.It goes on to say, " CAIR has spent 30 years vocally speaking up against all forms of bigotry, including anti-Black racism, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism and antisemitism, as well as all forms of unjust violence, including hate crimes, ethnic cleansing, genocide and terrorism. CAIR has played a leading role in debunking the arguments of both anti-Muslim extremists and Muslim extremists who attempt to paint Islam as a religion of wanton violence. "Read the full letter by clicking here. Original:Florida is designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist organizations following an executive order from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. CAIR says they plan to take the state to court.DeSantis announced the executive order on Monday saying it was taking effect immediately. He also called for state agencies to take measures to prevent unlawful activities by the groups and deny privileges to anyone who materially supports them.CAIR says their operational budget is largely funded by donations from Americans.The order argues the Muslim Brotherhood "supports a network of chapters and affiliated political entities and front organizations that engage in terrorism or funnel money to finance terrorist activities." It also claims they provided material support to Palestinian groups such as Hamas and joined attacks against Israel.The order includes similar accusations for CAIR, saying they had been convicted of providing material support to terrorist organizations.The Florida chapter and national headquarters of CAIR said they planned to file a lawsuit and called the governor's order "defamatory and unconstitutional."In a joint statement, they also said in part:"From the moment Ron DeSantis took office as Florida governor, he has prioritized serving the Israeli government over serving the people of Florida. He hosted his very first official cabinet meeting in Israel. He diverted millions in Florida taxpayer dollars to the Israeli government's bonds. He threatened to shut down every Florida college's Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, only to back off when CAIR sued him in federal court."Last month, the CAIR Legal Defense Fund and other groups filed a federal lawsuit against a proclamation by Texas Governor Greg Abbott which also declared CAIR's Texas Chapter as a foreign terrorist organization.CAIR says they've nationally condemned Antisemitism, the Oct. 7th attacks, and all acts of terrorism by al-Qa'ida, Hamas, and other groups designated as foreign terrorist organizations.They also reaffirmed their mission "to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims."Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.Like us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram and X. ...read more read less