The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed a new report by the Charity & Security Network detailing the threat that state-level terrorism designations issued by rogue governors pose to civil society groups.
CAIR also welcomed the report’s conclusion that CAIR’s response to attacks on the Muslim civil rights group in Florida and Texas serves as an “example” for how civil society can effectively respond to such threats.
That report stated in part:
“In late 2025 and early 2026 officials in Congress, Texas and Florida escalated the long-running disinformation and lawfare attacks on the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the United States, along with its affiliates in California, Florida and Texas…
“One could easily see similar allegations against other nonprofits across the progressive space. CAIR has set an example of resilience that nonprofit organizations can look to when planning how to respond to potential attacks. It has publicly responded to disinformation about it by leading with its values and debunking false narratives. It has not backed down from its mission or been silenced when it encounters official wrongdoing.
“CAIR’s webpage on “What They Say About CAIR” quotes the Indiana Star as saying, “The organization…has developed a reputation for being something of a pit bull in protecting the civil rights of Muslims.” Civil society is fortunate to have CAIR on the front lines protecting free speech and association rights, and the nonprofit sector must continue to support such efforts….
“CAIR’s robust response is an example for other groups on how to push back against false allegations while continuing their core work reflecting their values and mission.”
Case Study: Renewed Attacks on Muslim Civil Rights Group CAIR Continue a Years-Long Disinformation and Lawfare Campaign
In a statement, CAIR said:
“We welcome this thorough and important report from the Charity & Security Network detailing the danger to civil society posed by rogue politicians abusing the powers of their office to punish nonprofit organizations who dare to disagree with their policies. We also welcome the Charity & Security Network’s conclusion that CAIR’s proactive response to such attacks in the court of public opinion and the court of law can serve as a model for other targeted civil society groups.”
“As the Charity & Security Network correctly notes, ‘These attacks consistently claim that constitutionally-protected speech and association are outside of tax-exempt purposes for nonprofits, and they use unsubstantiated allegations to claim support for terrorism. This ignores the rights of nonprofit organizations including 501(c)(3)s to speak out on issues of the day.'”
“We thank the Charity & Security Network for their detailed examination of this threat and efforts to protect all nonprofit organizations.”
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com