Beirut: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) filed an open records demand Thursday with the US state of Florida, seeking communications between Gov. Ron DeSantis' office, Israeli government officials and "anti-Muslim hate groups." CAIR said on US social media company X that it is seeking "any and all communications" related to DeSantis' "lawless and defamatory attack on CAIR-Florida and the Florida Muslim community."

According to Anadolu Agency, CAIR's Director of Government Affairs Robert McCaw accused DeSantis of having a "long history of close collaboration with anti-Muslim hate groups and Israeli government officials who have spent years trying to silence Americans advocating for Palestinian human rights." McCaw emphasized the importance of transparency, stating, "The people of Florida have a right to know whether Governor DeSantis collaborated with a foreign government or hate groups."

This demand from CAIR follows DeSantis' recent decision to designate the group as a foreign terror organization, a move that CAIR-Florida has pledged to contest, labeling it as unlawful and an attack on civil rights advocacy within the state. Despite the controversy, DeSantis defended the designation and welcomed the potential lawsuit from CAIR.

Furthermore, Texas has similarly designated CAIR as a terror organization, adding another layer to the ongoing tension between the organization and certain state governments. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Washington, CAIR stands as the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group in the US.