By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Senate Democrats voted Monday against two Republican-backed memorials urging the federal government to designate both the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as terrorist organizations.
House Concurrent Memorial 2001, sponsored by Rep. John Gillette (R-LD30), urges the president and Congress to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization and asks Arizona law enforcement agencies to identify and monitor organizations linked to the group operating within the state. The measure passed the Senate on a 17-12 vote, with one senator not voting. Sen. Catherine Miranda (D-LD11) was listed as not voting on the measure.
House Concurrent Memorial 2002, also sponsored by Gillette, urges the president and Congress to designate CAIR as a terrorist organization and to pass H.R. 4097, known as the “Designate CAIR as a Terrorist Organization Act.” The measure also passed the Senate in a similar 17-12 vote, with Miranda not voting.
In a statement posted to X, the Arizona Senate Republican Caucus wrote,
“Republicans voted YES to back President Trump and urge Congress to label this radical Islamist network — ideological founder of Hamas — a foreign terrorist group and stop its support for jihad and infiltration. Calling this ‘racist’ is a pathetic Democrat lie. It’s a political terror network, not a race or peaceful Muslims. The Trump administration already designated multiple Brotherhood branches for material support to Hamas. Why are Democrats shielding a group that threatens Arizona families and U.S. security?”
HCM 2001 states that the Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928, has “a long-documented history of promoting Islamist extremism” and argues that it has inspired or spawned terrorist organizations, including Hamas and al-Qaeda. The memorial also cites Hamas’ charter, which describes Hamas as “one of the wings of the Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine.” It further urges the Arizona Attorney General and law enforcement agencies to “identify, monitor and report any Muslim Brotherhood-linked organizations operating within Arizona, including financial, educational and advocacy groups.”
The memorial references evidence introduced during the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing trial, including internal Muslim Brotherhood documents describing what prosecutors called a “civilization-jihadist process” intended to undermine Western society from within. It also references CAIR, describing the organization as “widely considered a front group for the Muslim Brotherhood by counterterrorism experts.”
HCM 2002 argues that CAIR should be reviewed for terrorist designation based on alleged ties to Hamas and the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing case. The memorial notes that CAIR was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation prosecution and adds that the FBI suspended outreach with the organization after evidence presented in the case established a relationship between CAIR and Hamas.
The memorial also cites terrorism-related convictions involving several former CAIR officials or affiliates, and the decision by the United Arab Emirates to designate CAIR as a terrorist organization in 2014.
CAIR Arizona and allied organizations opposed HCM 2002 earlier this year, arguing that the memorial relied on allegations that have not resulted in criminal charges or a federal terrorist designation. The coalition stated that CAIR has never been charged or convicted of terrorism-related crimes and argued that the memorial could contribute to discrimination against Muslim communities.
Both memorials now move forward as formal requests from the Arizona Legislature to federal officials, including the president, Congress, the U.S. Attorney General, and the U.S. Secretary of State.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
