(COLUMBUS, OH, 1/3/20) – The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, called today for the arrest and prosecution of a man who allegedly
threatened a local Muslim family of Palestinian heritage while yelling anti-immigrant slurs.
The Muslim husband, wife (who wears an Islamic head scarf, or hijab) and minor son were reportedly accosted by a man at a Sam’s Club parking lot in Columbus, Ohio. The man, without provocation of any kind, started screaming obscenities and xenophobic insults at the Muslim family, including, “f****** foreigners,” “this is my home, go back to your f***** country,” “go home.” The man also threatened the family and told them “I am going to find you,” “I am going to put a bullet in your f****** head,” “I am going to kill you,” and “you are a dead man.”
The family immediately contacted the police and turned over the license plate number and photographs of the attacker and his car. Police say they have identified the alleged attacker, but that they will not bring charges, and instead have asked the victims to “go to the prosecutor.”
In a statement, CAIR-Ohio Executive Director Romin Iqbal said:
“The alleged perpetrator needs to be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for this racist and xenophobic attack. Nobody should be intimidated, threatened or made to feel unsafe for simply belonging to an ethnic and religious minority.”
Iqbal noted that CAIR has reported an unprecedented spike in bigotry targeting American Muslims, immigrants and members of other minority groups since 2015.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. The CAIR-Ohio affiliate has three chapters in Ohio – Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati. Their mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
