(COLUMBUS, OH, 12/23/21) – The Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) met with community members on Tuesday, Dec. 21, to share additional information and answer questions regarding the information shared by the chapter last week.
Members of the CAIR-Ohio Columbus and Cincinnati staff, as well as National Board Chair of CAIR, Roula Allouch, gathered with the community virtually to ensure individuals from across Ohio were able to join, as well as to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 as Omicron infections spread.
“To remain transparent, we would like for you all to hear directly from us, especially as it pertains to all that has unfolded, sharing information about ongoing internal/external investigations, and most importantly in our fight to combat Islamophobia and anti-Muslim discrimination,” said Acting Executive Director Amina Barhumi. “While recent events are alarming, it is evidence that our work to fight anti-Muslim discrimination is crucial and necessary.”
Community Affairs Director Whitney Siddiqi walked through the timeline of events leading up to the announcement of the termination of the chapter’s former executive director, and information about the Islamophobic organization “Investigative Project on Terrorism” targeting CAIR, as well as the larger $57 million Islamophobia network fueling the spread of hate and misinformation.
Similar information was shared last week in a meeting with mosque leadership across the state of Ohio.
On Tuesday evening, the team also shared details about a second individual, not part of CAIR and outside the state of Ohio, who has come forward and confessed to working with IPT and spying on their Muslim community in return for payment.
The CAIR-Ohio team answered thoughtful questions from attendees and reassured the community that it does not have evidence that Iqbal shared personal information related to clients, donors, or community members.
“IPT is particularly invested in creating and spreading the Islamophobic narrative that CAIR is a terrorist organization,” said Civil Rights Attorney Maryam Abidi. “The evidence we have shows that Romin collected information primarily about the CAIR network, CAIR national, and the legislative and governmental relationships we as an organization hold.”
Nonetheless, Barhumi acknowledged the grief and anxiety many in the community are likely feeling. Both Barhumi and Allouch spoke of the difficulty of processing this heavy news and shared resources with attendees, such as the Family & Youth Institute’s Three Tips on Healing Toolkit.
Additionally, Acting Legal Director Lina Abbaoui shared that the clients and community members who rely on CAIR-Ohio are the organization’s first priority.
“We are working to ensure clients are supported through this leadership transition. If you are a current legal client, you will be contacted by our legal team soon, if not already.”
Barhumi closed the meeting with a commitment to keeping the community informed of updates, and shared what comes next for CAIR-Ohio and its fight against anti-Muslim hate.
“Despite these attempts to harm us, we are undeterred,” she said. “This is the work we do – and this tells us we are doing something right. Our work to fight anti-Muslim bigotry across the United States is one for the long haul, but we have the tools and the support of this community to make a difference.”
You can find more information and read CAIR-Ohio’s full community message released on Dec. 14, 2021, here.
Additionally, you can find a message from Acting Executive Director Amina Barhumi here.
