SMU drops youth leadership summit after Texas labels CAIR as terrorist group

Southern Methodist University announced the cancellation of an "Unapologetically Muslim" youth conference that CAIR-Texas had organized for high-school and freshman-year college students. The symposium, scheduled for September 19 at the Dallas campus, was to feature interactive workshops on leadership, mock testimony, and community-organizing techniques. SMU said the recent Texas proclamation labeling the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations conflicted with its mission and policies.

Governor Greg Abbott described the groups as radical extremists seeking to impose Sharia law and supporting terrorism worldwide. In response, CAIR-Texas sued Governor Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, contending the designation infringes on constitutional protections. The lawsuit remains pending, while the university affirmed its commitment to open inquiry but upheld the cancellation.