Stop coddling Islamism

The West’s hesitation to confront the Muslim Brotherhood’s threat is a grave error that imperils our democratic values and national security. The Brotherhood’s radical Islamist ideology—rooted in Islam’s supremacy and political advancement—undermines Western freedoms while masquerading as moderate. Two bold Senate initiatives signal a long-overdue reckoning: Sen. Ted Cruz’s Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025 and Sen. Tom Cotton’s call to revoke the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) nonprofit status. These steps are vital to shield America from Islamist ideologies that exploit our liberties to subvert our nation.

On July 15, Sen. Cruz reintroduced the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, a cause he has championed since 2015, to designate the Brotherhood a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The bill meticulously documents the group’s ties to terrorist networks like Hamas and al-Qaeda, citing its “ideological, political, financial, and logistical support” for these groups. This is not just rhetoric. The Brotherhood’s charter and actions expose its agenda. Founded in 1928 by Hasan al-Banna, its motto—“Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. The Qur’an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope”—reveals a commitment to impose Islamic governance, by violence if necessary. Its Palestinian extension, Hamas, executed the barbaric Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people, including at least 53 Americans, in the deadliest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.

The Brotherhood’s global reach is alarming. Nations like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Russia have banned it as a terrorist organization, recognizing its destabilizing influence. Yet, in the United States, it operates with impunity, using front organizations to advance its goals.

This brings us to CAIR, an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terrorism-financing case in U.S. history, the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) trial. Sen. Tom Cotton’s recent letter to the IRS Commissioner demands a review of CAIR’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, citing its ties to the Muslim Brotherhood’s Palestine Committee and its support for Hamas, which funneled $12.4 million to the terrorist group. CAIR’s leadership, notably Executive Director Nihad Awad, has exposed its extremist bent. In November 2023, Awad declared he was “happy to see” Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, claiming Palestinians were “breaking the siege” and denying Israel’s right to self-defense. Such statements reflect CAIR’s alignment with the Brotherhood’s anti-Western ideology and are not mere outliers.

The refusal to designate the Muslim Brotherhood an FTO while allowing CAIR to retain tax-exempt status is a baffling contradiction. The UAE, a Muslim-majority ally, labels CAIR a terrorist organization, yet in America, it enjoys nonprofit privileges, using tax-exempt donations to amplify its influence.

What is the United States waiting for? Are we expecting these groups to declare openly their aspirations for political Islam and their anti-Western intentions? Are we truly that naïve?

This naivety undermines U.S. security and emboldens groups that exploit our freedoms to sow division and radicalization. The Brotherhood’s vision of a global caliphate clashes with America’s principles of liberty, equality, and pluralism. Its affiliates, like CAIR, pose as civil rights advocates while eroding the constitutional protections they claim to uphold.

The stakes are immense. The Brotherhood’s ideology fuels hatred against Jews, Christians, and Muslims who reject its extremism. Its affiliates have incited violence against Coptic Christians in Egypt and backed jihadist movements across the Middle East. In the United States, CAIR’s leaders have been linked to meetings with Hamas supporters and have eulogized al-Qaeda recruiters, underscoring their radical ties. Allowing such groups to operate unchecked drains America’s resources, distorts public discourse, and endangers our communities. The 2008 HLF trial revealed that CAIR’s founders participated and strategized in a Philadelphia meeting to advance the Islamist agenda while concealing their affiliations—a clear betrayal of American trust.

The momentum under President Donald Trump is pivotal. Why are Cruz’s legislation and Cotton’s push timely and critical?

Cruz’s bill adopts a strategic “bottom-up” approach, targeting the Brotherhood’s violent branches, like Hamas, before sanctioning the broader network for material support. This addresses critics who—misguidedly—claim not all Brotherhood affiliates engage in violence, though their ideological backing of terrorism is undeniable. Cotton’s demand to revoke CAIR’s nonprofit status complements this, ensuring terrorist-linked organizations cannot exploit tax exemptions. Both align with the Trump administration’s resolve to confront radical Islam.

This is a moral and practical imperative.

Designating the Brotherhood an FTO and stripping CAIR of nonprofit status protects America’s fabric from those who weaponize our liberties against us. This isn’t about targeting Muslims but defending our nation from an ideology that threatens all who cherish freedom. Americans must rally behind Cruz and Cotton. We cannot repeat the West’s historical error of appeasing ideologies bent on our destruction. The Brotherhood’s network, from Hamas to CAIR, thrives on our hesitation. It’s time to act decisively—designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization, revoke CAIR’s nonprofit status, and declare unequivocally: America will not tolerate those who exploit our openness to undermine our security.