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Southern Methodist University has canceled an “Unapologetically Muslim” youth conference organized by CAIR-Texas that was scheduled to bring high school and college students to its Dallas campus, citing Texas’ designation of the Council on American-Islamic Relations as a “foreign terrorist” organization.
The Sept. 19 conference was advertised as a day of leadership and civic engagement training featuring “interactive sessions,” “mock testimony” and “power mapping,” a community-organizing technique aimed at identifying and influencing people with decision-making power.
The event page on the website for CAIR-Texas says that the event is “designed for high school students and rising college freshmen and sophomores,” and that “students will hear from community leaders and professionals, take part in interactive workshops, and learn how they can get more involved in the issues affecting their communities.”
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A student walks on the Southern Methodist University (SMU) campus on Jan. 23, 2007, in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Brian Harkin/Getty Images)
On Friday, The Dallas Morning News reported that SMU had canceled the event citing Gov. Greg Abbott’s designation of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations.
“The Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR have long made their goals clear: to forcibly impose Sharia law and establish Islam’s ‘mastership of the world,’” Abbott said in a November statement.
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Undated file picture of Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in the city of Ismailya in 1929. (AFP via Getty Images)
“The actions taken by the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR to support terrorism across the globe and subvert our laws through violence, intimidation, and harassment are unacceptable,” he said.
Abbott added, “These radical extremists are not welcome in our state and are now prohibited from acquiring any real property interest in Texas.” The designation by the governor is a state designation and not a federal one.
In November 2025, CAIR sued Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to block the proclamation.
“This attempt to punish the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization simply because Governor Abbott disagrees with its views is not only contrary to the United States Constitution, but finds no support in any Texas law,” the group said in its lawsuit.
“CAIR-Texas and the Texas Muslim community are standing up for our constitutional rights by directly confronting Greg Abbott’s lawless attack on our civil rights,” CAIR-Texas said in a statement. “We are not and will not be intimidated by smear campaigns launched by Israel First politicians like Mr. Abbott. Mr. Abbott is defaming us and other American Muslims because we are effective advocates for justice here and abroad. We plan to continue exercising our constitutional rights, defending civil rights, and speaking truth to power, whether in defense of free speech, religious freedom and racial equality here in Texas or in defense of human rights abroad.”
The federal lawsuit remains ongoing.
The Houston Chapter of CAIR-Texas was started in 1994, according to its website.
The group’s website lists its core principles as supporting Islam, fostering equality, stimulating interfaith dialogue and condemning violence.
The group says it works to “promote a positive image of Islam and Muslims in America,” with efforts that include media relations, government relations, education, and advocacy “to ensure the Muslim voice is represented.”
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Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a bill signing in the State Capitol on April 23, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell)
In a statement to Digital on Tuesday, a spokesperson at SMU confirmed the event had been canceled.
“SMU welcomes a wide range of organizations and perspectives to campus as part of our commitment to open inquiry and the free exchange of ideas,” the spokesperson said. “After reviewing plans for an upcoming unaffiliated youth leadership symposium advertised to take place at SMU, the University has determined that permitting the event to take place on campus, given the State of Texas’ current designation of the symposium’s organizer, is inconsistent with our mission and related University policies. As a result, the event will not take place on campus.”
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Muslims pray at a mosque during Friday prayers, in Plano, Texas, on April 11, 2025. (RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
Digital reached out to CAIR-Texas for comment.
– ‘ Landon Mion contributed to this report.
