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(COLUMBUS, OH, 12/4/2024) – The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) today called for an ethics investigation of a Pickaway County judge after a study reportedly showed that Black defendants were consistently sentenced more harshly than white defendants. |
(COLUMBUS, OH – 10/18/2024) — On Friday, October 18, The Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) and leaders from the Somali-Muslim community held a press conference to address the discriminatory treatment faced by Deqa Haji, a mother and nurse whose child is receiving care at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The community is demanding that Mt. Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital release all of Deqa’s and her child’s medical records and that Nationwide Children’s Hospital provide full transparency and cooperation regarding her son’s ongoing care.
Deqa Haji has been struggling for some time with issues concerning her newborn child. The child was injured at birth, though it is unclear when and where the injury occurred. Deqa has been following up with endless investigations, and eventually, her newborn was taken away and placed under the care of child protective services.
Deqa Haji embarked on an exhaustive search and pursued every possible avenue to regain custody of her child, but the situation has become increasingly difficult. Deqa remains hopeful that she will eventually regain custody of her child, but there are many challenges that require resilience and determination.
CAIR Ohio joins the community in calling on both Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Mt. Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital to release Deqa’s and her child’s medical records and provide the transparency needed to ensure she can properly advocate for her child’s health and well-being.
Deqa, supported by her legal counsel and family advocates, has spent two years battling for her child’s well-being and to protect her parental rights. Advocates at the press conference highlighted how systemic barriers and discrimination have impacted Deqa’s ability to effectively advocate for her child.
In a statement, CAIR-Ohio Executive Director Khalid Turaani said: “Every parent deserves the right to advocate for their child. We call on Nationwide Children’s Hospital to honor Deqa’s parental rights and on Mt. Carmel St. Ann’s to release all medical records related to Deqa and her child. This transparency is crucial for Deqa to ensure her child’s healthcare needs are met.”
Turaani also noted, “The family, alongside community organizations, is prepared to explore all available options, including legal action, to ensure justice for Deqa and her child.”
In a statement, family advocates shared: “We want Mount Carmel St. Anne’s to respond to Deqa’s request to receive her and her child’s records. Without those records, she can not advocate for herself or her child. We are also calling on Nationwide Children’s Hospital to meet with Deqa to better understand her concerns and demands.”
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-Ohio is urgently calling on all Americans who value peace and justice for all people to reach out to their members of Congress and request the following actions in response to the ongoing violence in Israel and Palestine:
Click here to take action!
The primary goal of the Ceasefire Now Resolution, sponsored by a diverse group of dedicated members of Congress, calls on the Biden Administration to urgently seek a de-escalation and ceasefire in Israel and occupied Palestine. It also emphasizes the vital need for sending humanitarian aid to Gaza, with the primary goal of saving innocent lives caught in the crossfire of the ongoing conflict. CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush also participated in the joint-congressional press conference announcing the introduction of the resolution.
Endorsed by CAIR and nearly 50 other organizations, the Ceasefire Now Resolution offers an alternative to a looming bipartisan resolution endorsed by 390 other members of Congress, led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul and Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks. That resolution essentially provides an open-ended endorsement for Israel’s ongoing bombing campaign in Gaza, which has resulted in the loss of thousands of Palestinian civilian lives.
On Tuesday, October 17, CAIR condemned Israel’s latest war crime in Gaza: the bombing of a hospital that claimed the lives of hundreds of people. CAIR is actively urging the Biden administration to oppose Israel’s “self-declared war crimes” after the Israeli government declared a “siege” on the entire civilian population of Gaza and escalated a mass bombing campaign that has killed thousands, including over 3,000 Palestinians, including more than 1,000 Palestinian children. These actions are a violation of international law and constitute war crimes.
CAIR believes that the world cannot return to a status quo in which Israeli human rights abuses continue to escalate, Palestinian rights diminish, and Palestinian men, women, and children perish without public notice until a war erupts. Our nation must intervene impartially to end this violence before more innocent lives are lost.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
(COLUMBUS, OH – 10/20/23) — The Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the derogatory and offensive comments directed at State Representative Munira Abdullahi, Ohio’s first and only female Muslim legislator. Representative Abdullahi, a respected member of the Ohio House, was subject to harmful comments following her lone dissent on a recent symbolic resolution expressing support for Israel.
SEE: Columbus Muslim lawmaker accused by GOP rep of ‘standing up for Hamas’ https://abc6onyourside.com/amp/news/local/columbus-muslim-lawmaker-accused-by-gop-rep-of-standing-up-for-hamas
Last week, the Ohio House passed a resolution expressing support for Israel, without any recognition of the ongoing occupation and oppression of Palestinians. Representative Abdullahi, exercising her democratic right to dissent, voted against the resolution, and while she was not allowed to voice her reasoning on the House floor, she cited her concerns regarding the lack of mention of Palestinian victims of violence and the need for balanced representation. This principled stance led to an onslaught of derogatory and inappropriate comments, including name-calling and offensive statements from some of her fellow legislators.
“The anti-Muslim hate rhetoric directed at Representative Abdullahi is deeply troubling,” said CAIR-Ohio Outreach Director Victoria Hickcox. “This type of vitriol is what has led to a sharp increase in anti-Muslim violence against our community and anyone who speak for the human rights of Palestinians. This vitriol from elected officials from all levels of government is what led to the brutal murder of 6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume in Chicago. Such offensive language causes harm to individuals, especially when their identity is being targeted, and contributes to the rise in hate crimes targeting both the Muslim and Jewish communities.”
CAIR-Ohio stands in solidarity with Representative Munira Abdullahi and her right to express her views and concerns for the lopsided narrative being pushed by the recent resolution and other one-sided messaging from elected officials. The comments made against Representative Abdullahi not only go against the principles of civility and respect that should guide political discourse but also contribute to the rise of hate crimes, both anti-Semitic and Islamophobic, as she aptly pointed out. We condemn any attempt to vilify or marginalize her for standing up for her principles.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. CAIR-Ohio has three offices in Ohio – Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Ohio, Cincinnati & Columbus Executive Director Amina Barhumi: abarhumi@cair.com | 614-763-6557
(COLUMBUS, OH – 10/13/23) — The Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned an alleged anti-Palestinian attack during a rally for Palestine in Columbus and calls on public officials and the media to end anti-Palestinian incitement.
Members of the Students for Justice in Palestine at The Ohio State University along with other student organizations, and other community supporters were involved in the peaceful demonstration and march Downtown. While protesters were marching in the street near Broad and High streets around 7:20 p.m., an older man driving a truck began to shout obscenities about Palestinians and then swerve out of his lane and hit a demonstrator on a bicycle.
The truck fled the scene, but Columbus police reported that the vehicle was stopped at North 3rd and East Lynn streets, and a suspect in the incident had been taken into custody.
SEE: Truck Swerves at Pro-Palestine Demonstrators in Downtown Columbus
In a statement, CAIR-Ohio Executive Director Amina Barhumi said:
“We condemn the apparently bias-motivated assault and urge public officials and media professionals to end the anti-Palestinian incitement and the spreading of misinformation placing a target on Palestinian-American, Arab-Americans, and American Muslims.”
Yesterday, CAIR-Ohio shared resources for employees and students being targeted for advocating on behalf of Palestinian rights or because of their Muslim faith.
SEE: CAIR-Ohio’s Palestine Self-Advocacy Tools
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. CAIR-Ohio has three offices in Ohio – Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Ohio, Cincinnati & Columbus Executive Director Amina Barhumi: abarhumi@cair.com | 614-763-6557
CAIR-Ohio is urging all Americans who care about peace and justice for all people to reach out to their members of Congress and request they take the following actions in response to the ongoing violence in Israel and Palestine.
The key to achieving enduring peace remains addressing Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestinian lands, apartheid state policies, and the ongoing violations of Palestinian human rights.
“We call on Congress to endorse the appeal for an immediate ceasefire and for the United States to intervene to end this violence before more innocent people die, stop aiding and abetting the occupation, and start applying the values of universal human rights to all victims of oppression, no matter their nationality, religion, or skin color,” said CAIR-Ohio Executive Director Amina Barhumi.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is issuing guidance to students being targeted for advocating on behalf of Palestinian rights or because of their Muslim faith. This guidance focuses on speech rights in educational settings and addressing any bullying that may result.
View the guide here.
“Students have the right to visibly practice their faith and peacefully advocate for human rights without facing harassment, threats or punishment,” said CAIR Research & Advocacy Director Corey Saylor. “We encourage K-12 schools, colleges and universities to address this sudden surge in reports of abusive and discriminatory behavior and express support for students of all backgrounds, including Muslims and Palestinians. We encourage students impacted to report any incidents of abuse and seek assistance. We are here to help.”
CAIR has seen and received multiple reports of students harassed online and at school due to advocacy for Palestinian human rights in recent days, including reports of bullying against visibly Muslim students and disciplinary action in public school settings and instances of threatening messages targeting college students online.
The organization encourages all students experiencing interference or suppression of their free speech in educational settings or harassment due to their faith to document the incident and contact CAIR promptly. CAIR asks the same in instances of anti-Muslim or anti-Palestinian bullying or harassment in school.
It is vital to register to vote or update your registration by Tuesday, October 10, 2023, to participate in the November 7th General Election! Note: If you register or update your information after the deadline, the change will apply for the next election.
Register to vote online and more here.
Check if you are registered to vote here.
View CAIR-Ohio’s Voter Guide to learn how + ways you can vote, your rights as a voter, and more here.
(CINCINNATI, OHIO, 10/27/22) – CAIR-Ohio, along with Palestinian Ohioans met with Ohio State Representative Jessica Miranda of District 28 recently to discuss the experiences and perspectives of Palestinian people. Staff, local community leaders, and students expressed their concern for the rise in propaganda and falsehoods being spread in Ohio to normalize the ongoing occupation of Palestinian land. Read More “CAIR-Ohio Meets with Rep. Miranda to Discuss Palestinian Experiences ”
(CINCINNATI, OHIO, 10/27/22) – CAIR-Ohio Staff Attorney Maryam Abidi was recently a panelist at the first meeting of the newly formed University of Cincinnati Muslim Law Association. The association aims to build a network of Muslim pre-law and law students and encourage more Muslims to join the legal profession. Read More “CAIR-Ohio Attorney Speaks on Panel at UC Muslim Law Association Inaugural Meeting”
