(COLUMBUS, OHIO 08/12/2021) – On Thursday, August 12, the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) testified at the Ohio Citizens’ Redistricting Commission (OCRC) Hearing for Central Ohio to advocate for fair districts that amplify the Ohio Muslim voice.
As Ohio undergoes the official redistricting process, which will establish new state and congressional district maps, CAIR-Ohio continues to advocate for adequate Muslim representation in the drawing of district lines. Gerrymandering disproportionately affects minority groups, such as the Muslim community, by splitting them up geographically and diluting their voting power. It is critical that Ohio Muslims are well represented in the public process to assert the need to keep our communities together. That is why CAIR-Ohio has been working to mobilize community participation in public hearings.
In the OCRC public hearing, which focused on Central Ohio, Hadiya Akhtar, a Central Ohio resident, testified on her perspective as a Muslim American.
“I grew up living next to the Noor Islamic Cultural Center surrounded by a large Muslim community. The community around the mosque was always very passionate about politics and civic engagement. However, it has been a struggle advancing issues that affect our community because of the way our neighborhood is segmented through gerrymandering.”
CAIR-Ohio Operations Coordinator Basma Garadah also testified on behalf of CAIR-Ohio to emphasize the importance of keeping the Central Ohio Muslim community together.
“As a civil rights and advocacy organization for Ohio Muslims, we understand what fair maps mean to our community. Muslims are often the subject of political discourse, yet rarely receive adequate political representation. The way our districts are drawn not only takes away our voting power, but also impacts how policy is made, and how we are treated as constituents.”
View the testimony of Basma here.
View the testimony of Hadiya here.
View the public hearing video recording here.
CAIR-Ohio is a proud member of the Ohio Citizens’ Redistricting Commission, Equal Districts Coalition, and the Equal Districts – Grassroots Mobilization Subcommittee. The organization has been engaged in the fight for fair maps this summer through community events, training citizens on mapping submitting community maps, distributing educational materials, testifying at hearings, and speaking at town halls.
Community members can fight for fair maps and against gerrymandering by:
- Learning more about redistricting in Ohio at cair-ohio.com/redistricting-resources.
- Attending an Ohio Redistricting Commission Public Hearing. Hearings are scheduled across the state from Aug. 23-27. View the full schedule here.
- Submitting testimony in the official redistricting process and ensuring your perspective on your community is heard. Contact CAIR-Ohio Policy Director Tala Dahbour at tdahbour@cair.com or 614-401-2920 if interested.
