DeSantis said the Muslim Brotherhood aims to build “a world-wide Islamic caliphate” and noted that CAIR was listed as an “unindicted co-conspirator.”By World Israel News StaffFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Monday night that the state has designated the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist organizations, declaring the order “effective immediately.”The directive, posted on his account on X, instructs state agencies to take “all lawful measures” to block unlawful activities by the groups and to deny privileges or resources to anyone who provides them with material support.In the text, DeSantis claimed the Muslim Brotherhood seeks to build “a world-wide Islamic caliphate” and asserted that CAIR had been listed as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in what he described as the largest terrorism financing case in U.S. history. He also tied the Brotherhood to Hamas, which is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by Washington.EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELYFlorida is designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist organizations.Florida agencies are hereby directed to undertake all lawful measures to prevent unlawful activities by these… pic.twitter.com/2s48yYfEg7— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) December 8, 2025CAIR, which operates an office in Tampa, dismissed the order as a “stunt” and said it will take Florida to court. In a statement, the group said it looks forward to “defeating Governor DeSantis’ latest Israel First stunt in a court of law, where facts matter and conspiracy theories have no weight,” and accused him of attempting to silence American Muslims who criticize U.S. support for Israel.The Florida move comes amid a wider national effort targeting the Muslim Brotherhood. Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to consider designating certain Brotherhood chapters abroad as foreign terrorist organizations.The order describes the group as “a transnational network” whose affiliates in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt “engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns that harm their own regions, United States citizens, and United States interests.” It triggers a 30-day review by the State and Treasury departments, after which sanctions such as asset freezes and travel restrictions could take effect.The action also echoes measures already enacted in Texas, where Governor Greg Abbott designated the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations.The designation authorizes enhanced enforcement and blocks both groups from purchasing land in the state. “The Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR have long made their goals clear: to forcibly impose Sharia law and establish Islam’s ‘mastership of the world,’” Abbott said, adding that their efforts to “support terrorism across the globe and subvert our laws” make them unwelcome in Texas.Founded in 1928 in Egypt by Hassan al-Banna, the Muslim Brotherhood has long served as a cornerstone of political Islam. Its motto, which includes “Jihad is our way” and “Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope,” has shaped movements across the Middle East and directly influenced Hamas, which identifies itself as the Brotherhood’s Palestinian branch.The group has been tied to political violence since its early decades and is banned or designated as a terrorist organization in multiple Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Its acting leader in Egypt recently praised Hamas’s October 7 attack, calling it an event that “awakened the cinder of jihad within the nation,” remarks that intensified scrutiny in the United States.Florida’s directive differs from Texas’s order in that it does not prohibit the organizations from purchasing property, but it does restrict access to state cooperation and resources while asserting that CAIR “was founded by individuals associated with the Muslim Brotherhood.”CAIR denies any ties to Hamas or other terror organizations and argues that state-level designations violate U.S. law by labeling groups as terrorist entities without due process. The organization has stated in the past, “CAIR is not and has never been an agent, affiliate, offshoot, subsidiary, supporter, partner, funder, representative, supporter, or pen pal of any militant group.”With Trump advancing a federal review and two of the country’s largest states taking action of their own, the debate over how the United States should confront the Muslim Brotherhood and organizations accused of sharing its ideological roots has become an active policy dispute. Legal challenges and political battles are now expected to unfold simultaneously at both the state and federal levels.The post Florida designates Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as terrorist organizations appeared first on World Israel News.