(COLUMBUS, OH 09/27/2021) – The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), along with coalition partners, today filed a lawsuit in the Ohio Supreme Court against the Ohio Redistricting Commission and various state officials over the unconstitutional partisan gerrymander of the General Assembly passed on party lines by the Ohio Redistricting Commission.
READ THE LAWSUIT:
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law and the law firm Reed Smith filed the suit on behalf of CAIR-Ohio and other plaintiffs. CAIR-Ohio previously submitted more than 100 maps to the Ohio Citizens’ Redistricting Commission reflecting the popular will of Ohio citizens to keep their communities intact.
SEE: CAIR-Ohio Testifies Before the Ohio Redistricting Commission on Proposed Maps
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-ohio-testifies-before-the-ohio-redistricting-commission-on-proposed-maps/
“It is very unfortunate that public input was ignored by the Redistricting Commission and that the district lines were drawn on a completely partisan basis,” said CAIR-Ohio Policy Director Tala Dahbour. “We are bringing this lawsuit to ensure that the Ohio Muslim community is not ignored and so that CAIR-Ohio can continue to effectively represent the community and to defend civil rights, including the right to vote.”
BACKGROUNDER:
The proposed redistricting maps dilute the political power of Ohio Muslims with district lines which split the Ohio Muslim community in cities across Ohio, including, Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, and in other Ohio cities.
The complaint argues that the district maps violate Article XI, Section 6 and equal protection and associational rights under the Ohio Constitution because they do not reflect the statewide voting preferences in Ohio and the maps are drawn primarily for partisan advantage.
As the proposed maps split the various Ohio Muslim communities, they will also hinder CAIR-Ohio’s work, making its civic engagement and advocacy efforts more labor-intensive and lead to depletion of its resources.
CAIR-Ohio is one of the Plaintiffs in this lawsuit along with the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, the Ohio Environmental Council, and other individual Plaintiffs. This lawsuit seeks to invalidate the General Assembly district plan, enjoin elections under the new plan, and demand the creation of new maps that follow constitutional criteria.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. CAIR-Ohio has three offices in Ohio – Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
END
CONTACT: CAIR-Ohio Policy Director Tala Dahbour, tdahbour@cair.com, (614) 401-2920
