In an escalation of his battle with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Fine has introduced legislation to start the process of designating the Washington-headquartered group as a foreign terrorist organization.
The eight-page bill (HR 4097), filed this week, would direct Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review CAIR’s activities to determine whether it meets criteria to be placed on the State Department’s list of foreign terror groups.
Since President Donald Trump retook office in January, 11 organizations have been added to the list, which includes Hamas, FARC, several chapters of ISIS and numerous Latin American drug cartels.
“Enough is enough,” Fine said in a statement. “For far too long, groups like CAIR have operated in our country and on our college campuses, promoting violent radical ideologies and defending the indefensible.”
Fine referenced a speech CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad made in November 2023 that he was “happy to see” Hamas terrorists from Gaza attack Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and that Israel, “as an occupying power, does not have (a) right to self-defense.”
Former President Joe Biden’s administration disavowed CAIR shortly after for what it called “shocking, antisemitic statements.” The Oct. 7 attack left more than 1,200 dead, including more than 40 Americans, and saw more than 250 people kidnapped, some of whom are still in captivity.
Fine’s office said CAIR has long been a “Trojan horse for terrorism.” It also alluded to a years-long feud between the new Congressman and the organization that has heated up in recent months.
Last year, while serving in the Florida House, Fine successfully sponsored a resolution (HR 1209) urging all state and local government agencies to cut ties with CAIR, citing numerous instances of terror support.
Even more forceful steps were taken, with similar explanations, by the FBI in 2009 and United Arab Emirates in 2014.
CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, has denied any ties to Hamas or terrorism and accused Fine of bigotry.
This month, the group labeled Fine an “anti-Muslim extremist” and condemned what it described as his “unceasingly violent rhetoric.” Among other things, the group pointed to his calling for Gaza to be “destroyed,” calling Democratic U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib a “Muslim terrorist,” saying Palestinians should “eat rockets” and telling a Muslim constituent to “go blow yourself up.” Last month, he also suggested dropping nuclear bombs on Gaza to force a Hamas surrender.
Since Israel responded to the Oct. 7 attack, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza — which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants — said more than 56,000 people living there have been killed. Israel claims more than 20,000 were militants. The ministry said more than half were women and children.
“For years, (Fine) has invoked Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian stereotypes and incited violence against Muslims and Palestinians at home and abroad with impunity,” the group said. “Despite the extremity of (his) remarks, Fine has not yet been censured or publicly criticized by his own party’s leadership.”
CAIR’s statement followed prior calls for Congress to censure Fine over his assertion that Palestinians have “mental defects” due to inbreeding and for “spreading hatred, dehumanizing Palestinians and Muslims, and promoting violence.”
The group has previously challenged efforts to associate it with Hamas and noted its inclusion in the 2007 Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing trial did not result in criminal charges or convictions.
Fine said in an interview with the Daily Signal on Tuesday, when he filed HR 4079, that designating CAIR as a foreign terrorist organization would likely lead to it losing its nonprofit status, making fundraising far more difficult. The group ran on an annual budget of between $7 million $9 million before 2023, when its funding jumped to $17.4 million, according to ProPublica.
Jewish Insider reported earlier this month that Fine, who is Jewish, was working to build support for the federal terrorist designation, framing it as a necessary measure to combat rising antisemitic violence linked to CAIR-backed groups.
Fine’s political brand has consistently been marked by confrontation, controversy and culture-war rhetoric, particularly regarding Muslims and the LGBTQ community, whose activism he described as “grooming.”
During his short term as a state Senator this year, he sponsored eye-catching measures to allow guns on college campuses, lower the age to buy long rifles and ban flags with political messages — including pride flags — from government buildings. None passed.
He also carried successful legislation condemning Students for Justice in Palestine and co-sponsored another since-passed bill to stop local interference against naming a future library after Trump.
HR 4097 is the fifth bill Fine has filed as a federal lawmaker since he won a Special Election for the seat representing Florida’s 6th Congressional District on April 1.
Two others, HR 472 and HR 3282, focus on antisemitism. He’s also sponsoring HR 4033, which would amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to loosen activity restrictions around sturgeons in captivity or controlled environments; and HR 4054, which would provide more postsecondary education institutions with more accreditation options.
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