Author: Victoria Hickcox

(COLUMBUS, OH — 04/27/2023) – During Ramadan, CAIR-Ohio hosted and attended over 25 Iftars across Ohio, including Greater Columbus, Greater Cincinnati, and Greater Dayton. These Iftars were held with the intention to build relationships, community, and funds to ensure that every Ohio Muslim can work, learn, live, and practice their faith free from discrimination, harassment, surveillance, and retaliation.  

Some of the highlights include a historic iftar at the Ohio Statehouse co-hosted with Representative Munira Abdullahi, the first Muslim woman elected to the Statehouse, as well as a night of spiritual reflection and community building at Masjid Abubakar Asiddiq Islamic Center, and dinners held at the CAIR-Ohio offices. 

Through the efforts of these gatherings, CAIR-Ohio was able to discuss the importance of safeguarding Muslim liberties and what that looks like on a community-based level. Thanks to the involvement of supporters and partners, CAIR-Ohio empowers the Muslim community through legal representation, education, government relations, media relations, and advocacy. 

(COLUMBUS, OH, 4/27/23) – On Wednesday, April 19, CAIR-Ohio Executive Director Amina Barhumi and Government Affairs Director Anisa Liban attended the Ohio Statehouse Resolutions Committee Hearing to provide opponent testimony for House Joint Resolution 1 (HJR1). 

CAIR-Ohio staff, along with dozens of organizations and Ohioans, were outraged when they were informed that they could no longer provide testimonies against the measure as a result of the committee halting the hearing and calling a surprise vote after hearing from only 6 constituents. 

TAKE ACTION: Protect the Power of the People in Ohio with Citizen-Led Ballot Initiatives 

HJR 1 would upend the constitutional amendment process and institute minority rule in Ohio, shred our Constitution, and take away our right to decide what happens in our communities. If passed, the bill will:  

· Increase the current voting threshold from 50%+1 to 60%.  

· If citizens spend months collecting signatures to put an amendment on Ohio’s ballot, their initiative will need 60% of votes to become law.  

· Remove the “cure period,” which is a window of time voters are allowed to fix any signature mistakes. This period permits voters to go back out and collect more signatures to try to make up for a shortfall. 

· Require an initiative petition proposing an amendment to the Constitution to have petitions bearing the signatures of at least 5% of the electors of each county in the state, instead of half of the counties. 

CAIR-Ohio voices strong opposition to HJR1, and its companion resolution SJR2, which if passed would make it harder to pass citizen-led ballot initiatives.  

“Our democracy cannot be fully called one, when the basic tenets and bedrock of democracy, of allowing citizens to have a say in their government, are made more difficult”, said Barhumi.  

“This impacts not only voting rights, but healthcare access, access to education, civil and economic justice, and much more. All of which are issues we combat regularly as an organization. Resolutions like this obstruct the voting rights of every Ohioan. HJR1 would also negate our continuous efforts as an organization to empower Muslims and underrepresented communities.” 

Additionally, at the committee hearing, Representative Brian Stewart made a statement on his own accord, what he termed “legal slavery”. CAIR-Ohio demands that he apologizes for these remarks and his conduct.  

“The lunatics in Portland took slavery out of the state constitution. And they did so because they wanted to make sure that you could no longer require people to go to court-ordered counseling, court-ordered drug treatment, court-ordered community service, and arguably, how do you even lock somebody up if you’re a child murderer in Oregon.” Stewart said. “’And do the child murderers in Oregon now get to say, “Well, sorry warden, I don’t want to wake up and make license plates today because that’s slavery.’” 

CAIR-Ohio will join the Ohio Voter Rights Coalition for a Day of Action at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday, May 3 to voice opposition to HJR1. We will be ready to mobilize & fight HJR1 by educating community members about the harmful resolution should it be up for vote in a special August election. 

If you are interested in joining, register here. 

(COLUMBUS, OH, 04/13/23) – On Wednesday, April 12, CAIR-Ohio along with Ohio Representative Munira Abdullahi held an iftar dinner bringing together over 250 Muslim community leaders, public officials, and Ohioans of all backgrounds to celebrate the richness of the growing Muslim communities in Ohio and to highlight its diversity. 

CAIR-Ohio Executive Director Amina Barhumi opened the event with welcoming remarks, in which she highlighted the rapid growth of the Muslim community over the past 25 years and the historic occasion of two Muslims being elected to the Statehouse.

Barhumi also shared, “this iftar convenes leaders, allies, and loved ones from across the buckeye state and serves as a reminder that Ohio thrives when its Muslim community and all marginalized groups are represented and feel a sense of belonging.” 

Honorary remarks were delivered by Leader Allison Russo, Quran recitation from Imam Bashir of Masjid Abu Hurairah, and spiritual reflections by Imam Abdurrahman Justin Wood. 

The keynote speaker was Rep. Abdullahi, who spoke about the power of community and engaging Ohio Muslims, and how honored she is to be the first Muslim woman to be elected to the Statehouse. She shared how Islam influences her work as an elected official and lawmaker, and in her approach to serving all her constituents. Abdullahi credits the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as her role model of leadership, and the example of justice, and treating all people with dignity and respect. 

CAIR-Ohio is thrilled to have been a part of organizing this momentous event and looks forward to doing so for years to come. 

(COLUMBUS, OH, 04/06/23)– On Wednesday, March 29, CAIR-Ohio joined the VoteRiders Press Conference at the Ohio Statehouse against House Bill (HB) 458, which was signed into law in January by Gov. DeWine. HB 458 is a law that implements new voting initiatives that impact Ohio’s most vulnerable and underrepresented communities. 

HB 458 takes effect this week requiring Ohioans to present a state-issued photo ID to vote, whether during early voting or on Election Day. This new law will apply to voters participating in local and county elections taking place this year. In addition to the ID requirements, the new law also limits early voting hours and restricts access to absentee ballots, further limiting the ability of Ohioans to participate in the democratic process. 

Ohio’s new ID laws are part of a larger trend of voter suppression efforts across the country that disproportionately impact communities of color, low-income individuals, and other marginalized groups. “These laws undermine the fundamental principles of democracy and threaten to disenfranchise millions of eligible voters,” said CAIR-Ohio Intern Khalid Dada. 

View the full press conference here.  

Learn more about Ohio’s new voter ID requirements here and view our Voter Guide for help voting. 

(CINCINNATI, OH, 03/31/23)– On Tuesday, March 21, CAIR-Ohio conducted an informational session on Islam, religious accommodations, and employment law at the Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law.  

CAIR-Ohio was invited to speak to law students taking a course called “Shedding Shackles”, which is based upon the life and work of the law school’s namesake, Salmon P. Chase. The course reviews Chase’s legacy as the first pro bono lawyer and his history representing enslaved persons who attempted to escape to freedom in southern Ohio.  

The course also draws parallels to various concepts of freedom today and the role lawyers play in securing freedom in today’s society. As part of the curriculum, the course professor, Judge Jennifer Kinsley invited CAIR-Ohio to speak about the employment laws and the religious accommodations resources CAIR-Ohio provides.  

CAIR-Ohio Outreach Director Victoria Hickcox began the presentation by introducing CAIR-Ohio’s work, the basics of Islamic practices, and opened the floor for questions on Islam and addressed common misconceptions about Muslims.  

CAIR-Ohio Deputy & Legal Director Lina Abbaoui continued the presentation with a discussion on religious accommodations and employment law, where she presented a popular religious discrimination case, the EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch, and closed off by reviewing relevant case studies with the students.  

Interested in having CAIR-Ohio speak at your school or organization? Fill out our speaker request form. 

(COLUMBUS, OH, 03/23/23)– On Saturday, March 18, CAIR-Ohio Executive Director Amina Barhumi participated in a “Parent Advocacy in Schools” panel hosted by the Noor Islamic Cultural Center’s (NICC) MYImpact Youth Committee.  

The MYImpact (Muslim Youth Impact) Committee is a leadership development initiative that serves the NICC youth community by organizing lectures, awareness campaigns, activities, and the annual NICC Youth Conference. All of which aims to develop God-consciousness and nurture upright Muslim youth.  

Barhumi was joined by Lila Alsibai and Sumaya Hamadmad, the founding members of the Muslim Parents and Educators for Understanding, Barhumi opened the session with an introduction to advocacy and the process CAIR-Ohio uses as a guideline when advocating for important policies and causes. 

Alsibai and Hamadmad continued the discussion by sharing the opportunities their group has provided over the years, which includes the historical effort in getting the Hilliard City School District to implement days off for the Eid al-Fitr holiday. They also provide programming around cultural competency for schools, where they address the challenges of being Muslim and how teachers can support their Muslim students.  

The panelists also highlighted the importance of small interactions of being involved in educational environments, as they help lead to the ability to make bigger changes.  

“CAIR-Ohio supports educator, student, parent-volunteer led efforts to create a culturally responsive school environment for Muslim students.” said Barhumi.  

Interested in CAIR-Ohio speaking at your event? Fill out our speaker request form.