In an interview with Al-Jazeera on November 19, 2025, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad reacted to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to designate CAIR as a terrorist organization.
Awad accused the governor of following what he called an “Israeli agenda,” saying that Abbott was pushing old stereotypes by suggesting Muslims aim to impose sharia law in Texas.
Awad insisted that CAIR has broad support and public legitimacy, even claiming that nearly one-third of the group’s donations come from non-Muslim Americans. He framed Abbott’s actions as part of a long historical pattern of Western campaigns against the Islamic world, comparing them to tactics used during the Crusades and colonial-era military expansions.
BACKGROUND ON CAIR AND THE HOLY LAND FOUNDATION TERROR-FINANCING CASE
