Trump says US will designate Muslim Brotherhood 'foreign terrorist organization': Report

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - US President Donald Trump said he will designate the Muslim Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organization, US media reported Sunday.

"It will be done in the strongest and most powerful terms," Trump told Just the News, a right-wing website. "Final documents are being drawn."

The move follows Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's recent designation of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) – the US’ self-described largest Muslim civil rights advocacy group – as "foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations."

Abbott also ordered investigations into alleged "sharia courts," accusing unnamed tribunals in North Texas of "masquerading" as legal courts and issuing orders that circumvent US law.

US Muslim groups, in response, filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday against Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to block an "unconstitutional and defamatory proclamation" targeting CAIR’s Texas branch.

Lena Masri, the group’s litigation director, said CAIR has "successfully sued and defeated Greg Abbott the last three times he tried to violate the First Amendment by punishing critics of the Israeli government."

CAIR-Texas said it will not be "intimidated by smear campaigns launched by Israel First politicians."