Press Release: CAIR-Ohio, Columbus Expresses Solidarity with Springfield’s Haitian Community Targeted by Racist Insults

by Khalid Turaani in 2025, February, press release, Recent News

(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 2/13/2025) – The Columbus-based Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the latest racist insults directed at the Haitian Community in Springfield, Ohio, in a city commission meeting.

CAIR-Ohio expressed solidarity with the Haitian community locally and nationally as it continues to face the consequences of rumors sparked last year by President Trump and Vice President Vance.

Although City officials confirmed the baselessness of Trump’s allegations multiple times, Springfield, Ohio, has received more than 30 bomb threats, an uptick in hate crimes and Neo-Nazi rallies and campaigns, both in person and online.

The latest incident of Haitian-targeted racism occurred on Tuesday, Feb. 11, when a man reportedly made racist comments comparing the intelligence of Haitians to dogs at a city commission meeting. Springfield Mayor Rob Rue and City Commissioner Krystal Brown defended their community, removing the aggressor and a supporter.

SEE: City officials push back against racist insults to Haitians at public meeting

“We condemn this racist rhetoric and all other bigoted attacks targeting the Haitian community in Springfield,” said CAIR-Ohio Executive Director Khalid Turaani. “The spread of this despicable hatred must be stopped, and we must come together as a community to repudiate all forms of bigotry. We stand in solidarity with the Haitian community as it deals with these hate incidents.”  

Turaani added that CAIR expressed solidarity with the Haitian community nationwide as it has been targeted by an online racist hate campaign.

He added that CAIR-Ohio is committed to fighting bigotry and has recently condemned a banner and flags with Nazi swastikas and white supremacist statements put up by a group of neo-Nazis on a highway overpass in a historically Black community.

SEE: CAIR-Ohio Condemns Neo-Nazi Group’s Hate Event in Historically Black Neighborhood

As of February 5th, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue and several other local officials filed a lawsuit on behalf of the City of Springfield against the Neo-Nazi group, Blood Tribe, for “engaging and enticing a campaign of harassment and intimidation, motivated by ethnic and racial hatred.’’

SEE: Springfield Ohio Sues Neo-Nazi Group

 CAIR-Ohio is committed to pursuing any incidents of harassment, discrimination, or intimidation to protect the civil rights, dignity, and safety of all individuals, regardless of their background, beliefs, or identity. To report an incident, file this form.

ACTION ALERT:Stop Ohio Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) and Protect Academic Freedom

by Khalid Turaani in 2025, February, Recent News, Take Action
Take Action

Join the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) to urge your State Representative to oppose Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), which poses a direct threat to academic freedom, faculty rights, student activism, and the independence of Ohio’s higher education system.

This legislation is vague, overbroad, and ripe for misuse. It would give state schools broad discretion to suppress speech the state disfavors while permitting other viewpoints, effectively creating a double standard. If enacted, SB 1 would allow universities to crack down on speech critical of state policies—such as pro-Palestinian advocacy—while allowing other viewpoints to flourish unchecked.

SB 1 also undermines free expression and faculty protections by enforcing political interference, restricting open dialogue, and creating a chilling effect on academic discourse. If enacted, SB 1 will result in severe and lasting damage, including:

  • Government-Imposed Restrictions on Free Speech – By forcing universities to remain “neutral” on pressing social and political issues, SB 1 censors debate and stifles critical thinking. Learning institutions should be spaces of open inquiry, not state-controlled silos of silence.

  • Stripping Faculty Rights and Job Protections – The bill bans faculty strikes and implements excessive post-tenure reviews, undermining academic independence and faculty advocacy. Educators should not fear retribution for engaging in discourse that challenges political ideologies.

  • Politicized, State-Controlled Curriculum – By mandating a state-approved civics course, SB 1 paves the way for government intervention in education, historical revisionism, and ideological control over course content. Higher education must foster independent thought, not state-driven narratives.

  • Silencing Student Advocacy – The ability to protest and organize is fundamental to democracy. SB 1 discourages student activism, making it harder for students to voice concerns on issues affecting their lives and education.

Take Action

Press Release: CAIR-Ohio Advocates Against SB1

by Khalid Turaani in 2025, February, press release, Recent News

(Columbus, Ohio, 2/12/2025) Yesterday at the Ohio Statehouse, hundreds gathered to testify in front of the Ohio Senate Higher Education Committee in an opponent testimony hearing for Senate Bill 1.

Staff from The CAIR-Ohio, Columbus and Cleveland chapters were in attendance and among the many awaiting turn to speak. The 75-page bill proposes suppressive measures that will result in the criminalization of “controversial” opinions or materials shared in class in favor of “neutrality,’’ which includes banning faculty strikes and publicizing class syllabi as well as the dismantling of all DEI structures within Ohio’s public universities.

Minority students, faculty, staff, and religious and culture-based groups will be particularly impacted. The bill blocks access to culturally competent services and institutional support as it strips away DEI funding and resources. It includes banning orientations, training, offices or departments, and any DEI-specific scholarships and initiatives. Similar policies in other states have led to crackdowns on pro-Palestinian activism and increased islamophobia as it emboldened far-right groups to misuse “neutrality’’ and “free speech” protections to justify hate speech on campuses.

“As an organization dedicated to promoting justice, protecting civil rights, and ensuring equity for all Ohioans, we are deeply concerned that SB 1 creates an unprecedented framework for state overreach in higher education. This bill threatens to stifle open dialogue and undermine the very principles that make Ohio’s universities spaces for intellectual growth and civic engagement,’ wrote CAIR-Ohio Columbus Legal Director Jwayyed Jwayyed in his testimony. “Moreover, this bill raises constitutional concerns. [SB1] is vague, overbroad, and ripe for misuse in its requirements for universities to remain ‘neutral.’ It would give state schools broad discretion to suppress speech the state disfavors, while permitting other viewpoints, effectively promoting viewpoint discrimination.’’

At the Ohio Statehouse, the opponent hearing spanned nearly eight hours with more than two hundred oral and eight hundred written testimonies submitted. CAIR-Ohio Columbus staff in attendance included Legal Director Jwayyed Jwayyed, Legal Assistant Raneem Albawab, Outreach Coordinator Caisha Abdullahi, and Communications Coordinator Sara Abou Rashed, who also submitted a personal testimony calling this bill “one rooted in fear, not protection. A bill, ultimately, asking us to be afraid of each other, of our stories.’’

CAIR-Ohio is committed to pursuing any incidents of harassment, discrimination, or intimidation to protect the civil rights, dignity, and safety of all individuals, regardless of their background, beliefs, or identity. To report an incident, file this form.

Press Release: CAIR-Ohio Condemns Expanded ICE Reach and Prepares for Accountability

by Khalid Turaani in 2025, February, press release, Recent News

(Columbus, Ohio, 1/30/2025) CAIR-Ohio Columbus condemns the Trump Administration’s expansion of the US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) reach, which now includes the power to conduct raids in places of worship, schools, and hospitals.

“Our local community members and organizations stand alert and worried about the implications of these expansions and the spotting of ICE officials in local neighborhoods of Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton and Springfield,” said CAIR-Ohio Columbus Executive Director Khalid Turaani. “We especially worry about fear mongering, intimidation tactics and the breaking up of families due to their varied legal statuses.’’

Since re-entering office for his second term, President Trump has signed over a dozen executive orders addressing his immigration and mass deportation agenda. According to news outlets, Immigration authorities made close to 1,200 in just one day in Trump’s first week, a record breaking number that’s expected to increase.

On ICE’s role, CAIR-Ohio’s Legal Director for Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton, Jwayyed Jwayyed, commented that “America is a land governed by rules and laws, as long as those laws are adhered to and ICE holds judicial warrants, their activity is legal; however, if laws are not followed and unwarranted arrests are made, CAIR-Ohio stands ready to uphold the laws of the US constitution and the laws of the great state of Ohio.’’

In preparation, CAIR-Ohio will be distributing materials digitally and in print as well as translated into multiple languages covering best practices when encountering ICE officers. CAIR-Ohio is committed to pursuing any incidents of harassment, discrimination or intimidation to protect the civil rights, dignity, and safety of all individuals, regardless of their background, beliefs, or identity. To report an incident, file this form.

CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization, with three offices in Ohio – Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland. The organization is dedicated to enhancing understanding of Islam, protecting civil rights, promoting justice, and empowering American Muslims.

CAIR Welcomes ‘Long Overdue’ Gaza Ceasefire, Calls for Concrete Steps to End Occupation

by Khalid Turaani in 2025, December, Recent News, Take Action

(COLUMBUS, OH, 01/17/2025) – The Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Columbus welcomes the news of a pending ceasefire in Gaza, albeit long overdue after more than 15 months of genocide and overshadowed by the mass destruction and loss of over 46,000 Palestinians as a result of Israel’s military campaign.

During this period, the longest compared to previous attacks on Gaza, universities, schools, hospitals, places of worship and even tents were turned into scenes of massacres. Many doctors, nurses and humanitarian relief workers were targeted and killed by Israel. Moreover, Israel has obstructed aid and left the population of Gaza divided between North and South without adequate food, water, shelter, medical care, or daily necessities. The scale of destruction in Gaza is unprecedented, and the collective trauma endured by its people cannot be overstated. For the first time, the acronym WCNSF emerged out of the Gazan Strip: wounded child, no surviving family.

While the ceasefire halts the immediate violence, offering a fragile relief, CAIR-Ohio stresses that true peace in Palestine cannot be achieved without justice and without addressing the deeply seated and ongoing violence: the illegal occupation of Palestinian land and systemic oppression of the Palestinian people which has been ongoing for more than 76 years.

“While we welcome the ceasefire, we remain vigilant and committed to advocating for real and lasting change,” said Khalid Turaani, Executive Director of CAIR-Ohio Columbus. “This is a reminder that the work continues. We call on our public officials to take concrete steps beyond rhetoric. Meaningful action is needed to ensure that this ceasefire marks the beginning of a lasting resolution to ensure justice, accountability, and the protection of fundamental human rights.”

As an American civil rights organization, CAIR-Ohio calls on the American government and representatives to stop the aid to Israel and to adhere to national and international laws that prohibit exporting American weapons for the use in war crimes as well as to hold Israel accountable.

The resilience of the Palestinian people in the face of unimaginable adversity inspires us to continue amplifying their voices and standing in solidarity with all communities that face injustice. Similarly, the courage of students and their activism must be celebrated and acknowledged. In the past year, CAIR-Ohio and other chapters have received numerous complaints filed over anti-Palestinian harassment and discrimination in schools, on college campuses, and beyond.

As America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization, CAIR remains dedicated to protecting civil rights, promoting justice, and empowering American Muslims. CAIR has three offices in Ohio – Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland.

END

Contact: CAIR Ohio Executive Director Khalid Turaani, kturaani@cair.com

CAIR Ohio Outreach Coordinator Caisha Abdullahi cabdullahi@cair.com

CAIR Ohio Communications Coordinator Sara Abou Rashed sabourashed@cair.com

Press Release: CAIR-Ohio Confronts Anti-Palestinian Harassment at The Mall at Fairfield

by Khalid Turaani in 2025, December, press release, Recent News

(Columbus, Ohio, 1/16/2025) Recently, The Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Columbus (CAIR-Ohio Columbus) resolved a verbal and physical discrimination incident that occurred on October 24, 2024, at The Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek, Ohio.

The victim, a mother shopping with her Palestinian son, was verbally and physically assaulted by two female workers (later identified as an employee and store owner) for wearing a “Free Palestine” shirt. The two workers verbally abused the mother with racially charged and anti-Palestinian insults. As she tried to record the incident, they grabbed her by the arm and shouted slurs at her. The workers then called mall security, falsely accusing the mother of being the instigator.

While mall security de-escalated the situation, the mother and her son were left distressed without formal resolution and the aggressors without consequence. When the mother’s complaint to mall management went unanswered, she sought CAIR-Ohio’s help.

The legal director of CAIR-Ohio’s Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati, Jwayyed Jwayyed, contacted the general manager of The Mall at Fairfield Commons and demanded a formal investigation, a public apology, and reinforced commitment to a safe and welcoming environment for all patrons.

On January 8, 2025, CAIR-Ohio received notice from the legal department of the owner company of The Mall at Fairfield commons, WPG, which also owns Polaris Fashion Place and major shopping centers across the nation. They confirmed receipt of CAIR’s letter and that the store owner and employee in question were formally reprimanded and informed of further disciplinary action if such harassment reoccurs. The company affirmed its disapproval of the discriminatory incident and its commitment to the safety and inclusion for all patrons regardless of background.  

“We appreciate that the management of the Mall at Fairfield Commons took swift action in addressing the harassment and reprimanding the individuals involved,’’ said Jwayyed, CAIR-Ohio’s legal director. “However, this incident is one of many we receive weekly. While a small win, it highlights the urgent need for stronger policies against intimidation and discrimination.

No one should fear harassment simply for expressing their views or showing up as who they are, and we will hold accountable those who attempt to silence or threaten others.”

CAIR-Ohio is committed to pursuing any incidents of harassment, discrimination or intimidation to protect the civil rights, dignity, and safety of all individuals, regardless of their background, beliefs, or identity. To report an incident, file this form.