The United Arab Emirates has banned the Council on American-Islamic Relations, labeling it a terrorist organization,
The Clarion Project reports.
CAIR was among 82 groups banned by the UAE government, which followed Saudi Arabia and Egypt in denouncing groups they save have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
According to
World Tribune, the ban was made by President Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on August 20, but was just announced on Saturday. The ban would prevent the organizations from cooperating with the government or receiving funds from it.
Other groups with American ties on the list were the Muslim American Society (MAS) and British-based Islamic Relief Worldwide, which is the parent organization of Islamic Relief USA, Clarion Project reported.
CAIR describes itself on
its website as aiming to be "a leading advocate for justice and mutual understanding," adding that its mission is to "enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding."
Critics say the group harasses anyone who publicly opposes the group. Several Fox News hosts, including Megyn Kelly, Sean Hannity and Bob Beckel, have said CAIR targets them after they criticize the group or report negatively on it.
Breitbart.com reported in April that CAIR lawyers went after residents of Pittsfield Township, Michigan, after they opposed building a mosque because they talked about their concerns on traffic and other issues at a zoning meeting.
CAIR was named an
unindicted co-conspirator in a 2007 case against the Holy Land Foundation, in which the group was accused of funding Hamas. The U.S. Justice Department has stopped working with the group except on criminal probes because of the designation.
The Clarion Project notes that the bans pose "significant risks" to the UAE.
"The Muslim Brotherhood, Iranian proxies and al-Qaida affiliates are powerful and can threaten the UAE in many ways. The Brotherhood’s lobbies in Europe and the U.S. will use their political influence to their advantage," Clarion's Ryan Mauro wrote.
Mauro said the linkages of the three U.S.-connected groups to the Brotherhood are well-known in both the United States and the UAE.
"The difference between the U.S. and the UAE is that the former chooses to ignore them and the latter chooses to act on them," Mauro wrote.
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