UAE lists CAIR, Muslim American Society as terrorist groups with ISIS, Al Qaeda

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim American Society are each registering their outrage over reportedly being designated terrorist organizations by the United Arab Emirates.

Michael Zehaf-Bibeau linked to ISIS? photo/Islamic State flag

Both groups were listed with Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic State (aka IS, ISIS and ISIL) and Al Qaeda as well as European Muslim groups in Italy, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Finland, Britain’s Cordoba Foundation and the Muslim Association of Britain. 

The full list, numbering 83 groups, was approved by the UAE cabinet Saturday and was posted by the official news agency WAM.

CAIR described its inclusion on the terrorism list as “shocking and bizarre” and called on the UAE government to remove them.

“There is absolutely no factual basis for the inclusion [of] CAIR and other American and European civil rights and advocacy groups on this list,” CAIR said in a statement Sunday.

“Like the rest of the mainstream institutions representing the American Muslim community, CAIR’s advocacy model is the antithesis of the narrative of violent extremists,” the group said. “We call on the United Arab Emirates cabinet to review this list and remove organizations such as CAIR, the Muslim American Society and other civil society organizations that peacefully promote civil and democratic rights and that oppose terrorism whenever it occurs, wherever it occurs and whoever carries it out.”

The Muslim American Society said in its own statement that it was “shocked” to learn of its inclusion.

“The Muslim American Society is a religious community service organization that serves people in the United States. We have no dealings with the United Arab Emirates, and hence are perplexed by this news,” the group said. “Before proceeding any further, we would first like to verify the accuracy of the news reports and receive an official response from the United Arab Emirates regarding the reports. We would also like to seek the help of our government to address this issue.”

CAIR was named by federal prosecutors in 2007 along with about 300 others as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in a Hamas funding case connected with the Holy Land Foundation trial. Hamas has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government since 2007.