CAIR-Ohio joined community members, advocates, and leaders from across the state for this year’s Muslim Day at the Capitol in Columbus. The event brought together Muslims from all over Ohio to meet with legislators, share community priorities, and promote policies that uphold justice and equality.
This year, CAIR-Ohio focused on House Bill 306, the Hate Crime Act, a bill designed to create a comprehensive framework for addressing hate crimes in Ohio. The legislation prohibits acts of intimidation or terrorizing based on personal characteristics or beliefs, including religion, race, and national origin. It introduces both civil and criminal remedies, allowing victims to seek damages and enabling prosecutors to hold perpetrators accountable.
CAIR-Ohio urged lawmakers to strengthen HB 306 so that it fully protects faith communities and addresses the rise in religiously motivated hate crimes. Among the organization’s recommendations were:
Explicit protection for religious practice and places of worship
Clear criminal penalties for faith-based acts of terrorizing
A defined legal meaning for “terrorizing” that includes threats, vandalism, and intimidation
Mandatory statewide data collection on religious-bias incidents
Support funding for victims and law enforcement training on religious bias
Ohio’s current “ethnic intimidation” law only enhances penalties for certain misdemeanors and does not address more serious hate-motivated crimes. HB 306 fills this gap by defining hate crimes more clearly and aligning Ohio law with best practices from other states such as California, New York, and Illinois.
The urgency of this advocacy was underscored by data from CAIR’s 2025 Civil Rights Report, which recorded 8,658 complaints of discrimination and bias nationwide in 2024, the highest number since recordkeeping began in 1996. Ohio chapters alone reported 773 civil rights incidents, several of which were hate-crime related and involved vandalism, harassment, or threats against mosques and Muslim-owned businesses.
CAIR-Ohio representatives shared examples of incidents affecting local families, students, and business owners to show legislators that faith-based harassment is not isolated but part of a larger pattern. They emphasized that hate crimes affect entire communities and that clear legal protections build trust, safety, and accountability.
Strengthening HB 306 is not only about justice but about ensuring that all Ohioans can live, work, and worship without fear. Muslim Day at the Capitol served as a powerful reminder of how civic engagement transforms concern into action.
CAIR-Ohio remains committed to working with legislators, community partners, and supporters to advance this legislation and protect every Ohioan’s right to safety and dignity.
Every Ohioan deserves to live and worship without fear. Strengthening HB 306 affirms Ohio’s commitment to religious freedom, inclusion, and public safety for all.