In December of 2021, after CAIR-Ohio learned it was targeted by an anti-Muslim hate group, it terminated its executive director and redoubled its efforts to fight Islamophobia and protect its staff and community. The organization is moving forward with key guiding principles and priorities outlined on this page. CAIR-Ohio will continue this important work until every American Muslim can work, learn, live, and practice their faith free from surveillance, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
The details and circumstances of this situation are complex with varied processes and stakeholders. CAIR-Ohio is ensuring due diligence as accountability measures are pursued and will continue to provide additional information to its community. This page will be updated as necessary.
Last Updated: March 17, 2022
Timeline of Recent Events
2021: CAIR National began receiving extensive evidence of The Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT), an anti-Muslim hate group, targeting American Muslims and American Muslim organizations. As part of the information CAIR National received about the inner workings of IPT, led by Steve Emerson, CAIR also reviewed disturbing evidence indicating that the hate group was communicating with Israeli intelligence officials during the previous administration.
Summer 2021: CAIR National hired an outside law firm and forensic specialist to conduct a third-party, independent investigation after reviewing evidence showing IPT was targeting CAIR by using a local chapter employee as a “mole.”
November 2021: The forensic investigator provided an independent report to CAIR National, confirming that the key evidence CAIR received was authentic and that Romin Iqbal, who at the time was the executive and legal director for CAIR-Ohio Columbus and Cincinnati offices, had been covertly working with the hate group since at least 2008. He was secretly recording CAIR network meetings and passing confidential information regarding CAIR’s national advocacy work to the anti-Muslim hate group. CAIR-Ohio does not have any evidence that Mr. Iqbal shared information with IPT or any foreign intelligence about the local community or Palestinian organizers or organizations. The forensic expert verified that he was not aided by any other CAIR individual.
December 5, 2021: CAIR National informed the CAIR-Ohio Columbus and Cincinnati Board Chair of the egregious professional and ethical violations of former Executive Director Romin Iqbal.
December 6, 2021: The board commenced its own internal investigation, securing financial accounts, beginning a full analysis of the forensic report, and confronting Mr. Iqbal. After admitting to providing information to anti-Muslim hate group IPT, Mr. Iqbal was suspended.
December 7, 2021: The Board appointed Amina Barhumi as acting executive director and Lina Abbaoui as acting legal director of Columbus and Cincinnati offices. Board members then informed the staff of Mr. Iqbal’s suspension for egregious professional and ethical violations.
December 7-13, 2021: Immediately, CAIR-Ohio staff worked meticulously and around the clock to transfer and secure physical and digital assets, operations, and infrastructure.
December 10, 2021: CAIR-Ohio staff received a full briefing on the violations committed by Mr. Iqbal –this included reviewing evidence from the forensic report.
December 13, 2021: Leadership from CAIR chapters across the country were informed of the situation. That evening, CAIR-Ohio staff members opened a package that was mailed to the Columbus office. The package contained AR-15 parts. Staff also discovered thousands of dollars of unauthorized purchases from weapons and ammunition retailers. Staff immediately reported both the package and the purchases to law enforcement. An investigation is ongoing. CAIR-Ohio was refunded for the purchases and financial accounts were secured with added security protocols.
December 14, 2021: Upon completion of the board’s full analysis of the forensic report, the board terminated Mr. Iqbal. CAIR-Ohio released a letter to the community the same day. With the safety and wellbeing of the community as the staff’s first priority, it was of utmost importance to the team to inform the community as soon as possible, with as much information as possible. At the outset, CAIR-Ohio did not name the hate group to avoid amplifying its publicity and furthering its objectives.
December 15, 2021: After receiving many questions from the community, CAIR-Ohio released the name of the hate group. CAIR-Ohio staff and board members also hosted a meeting with masajid (mosques) from across the state, answering questions and providing clarifications.
December 16, 2021: CAIR and Maristan, a nationally recognized Muslim mental health organization, co-hosted a virtual Community Healing Circle addressing betrayal, hypocrisy, and breach of trust, as well as discussing ways to work toward wellbeing and healing.
December 17, 2021: Acting Executive Director Amina Barhumi shared a letter to the community about our ongoing fight against Islamophobia and the multi-million dollar network spreading the hate and outlined CAIR-Ohio’s guiding principles moving forward.
December 21, 2021: CAIR-Ohio staff hosted a Community Check-in, answering questions and providing updates directly to community members. One update shared was details of a second individual — not part of CAIR and outside of Ohio — who came forward and admitted to spying on his community for IPT in return for payment.
January 6, 2022: Acting Executive Director Amina Barhumi appointed Lina Abbaoui as legal director, removing the “Acting” title.
January 7, 2022: Lina Abbaoui shared a letter with the community, outlining her team’s renewed commitment to combating anti-Muslim discrimination and providing no-cost legal services to our community.
January 12, 2022: CAIR National provided new evidence from an IPT whistleblower – a former staffer – as well as the second mole detailing IPT efforts to surveil, spy on, and undermine prominent Muslim organizations and leaders, including then-Rep. Keith Ellison, in an effort to protect the Israeli government from criticism.
February 1, 2022: CAIR and 80+ Muslim civic and religious organizations sent a request to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting the Department of Justice investigate IPT’s efforts to systemically surveil and target the American Muslim community.
It’s important to note that throughout this time, CAIR-Ohio’s work of empowering Ohio Muslims did not stop. Our legal, advocacy, and outreach work continued. Please find more details below and view “Our News” to see updates on our work over the past few months.
Open Letter from the CAIR-Ohio Board of Directors
Community Letter from CAIR National
Community Letter from Acting Executive Director
Community Letter from Legal Director
Multi-Million Dollar Islamophobia Network
Mr. Iqbal was a small tool in a larger $105 million Islamophobia Network spreading hate, fear, and misinformation across the United States.
The Islamophobia Network, also known as the Islamophobia Industry, is an interdependent network of politicians, think tanks, scholars, religious groups, and activists that distort Islam and Muslims for monetary and political gain. They share an ideology of extreme anti-Muslim hate and work with one another to negatively influence public opinion and government policy about Muslims and Islam.
Our fight against Islamophobia and anti-Muslim discrimination is not new. And our work to protect and empower the community frightens anti-Muslim hate groups. While recent events are alarming, it is evidence that our work is crucial and necessary.
And we will continue this work until every American Muslim can work, learn, live, and practice their faith free from surveillance, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
Protecting Our Team, Community, & Mission
As soon as CAIR-Ohio was informed of IPT’s attack and Mr. Iqbal’s violations, the team immediately leapt into action to ensure the organization’s stability. In the days after, CAIR-Ohio staff worked meticulously and around the clock to transfer and secure physical and digital assets, operations, and infrastructure. But the work to protect our team, community, and mission continued.
ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES
Department of Justice Investigation Request: CAIR, on behalf of every CAIR chapter, and along with 80+ other Muslim organizations has requested the Department of Justice investigate IPT’s systemic surveillance and targeting of the American Muslim community.
Legal Action: Both CAIR and CAIR-Ohio are considering legal action and all options remain on the table.
Local Law Enforcement Investigation: CAIR-Ohio reported the AR-15 package mailed to its Columbus office and unauthorized purchases from weapons and ammunition retailers to law enforcement. Local law enforcement is investigating.
SAFETY, WELLNESS, & SECURITY MEASURES
Surveillance & Privacy: Through a variety of security measures, CAIR-Ohio has ensured that our office spaces are safe and not under external surveillance.
Cyber & Physical Security: Additional steps have been taken to improve cyber and physical security. The third-party forensics expert who investigated Mr. Iqbal’s spying confirmed there was no breach in our system and what happened was behavioral. However, we will continue to improve and prioritize the security of our work.
Staff & Community Wellbeing: CAIR-Ohio has hosted community meetings, a Community Healing Circle, staff retreats, and enlisted the help of a nationally renowned Muslim mental health organization to facilitate processing and healing for both staff and community members.
CONTINUITY MEASURES OF PROGRAMS & SERVICES
Continuing Our Services & Programs – An Act of Resistance & Resilience: While the goal of IPT’s spying was to derail our work, we are proud that our programs and services never stopped as we responded to this situation. This surveillance is meant to create fear and distrust in our communities – yet we have banded together stronger than ever as American Muslims demanding our right to practice our faith and do our work free from intimidation.
Renewed Commitment: Despite these attempts to harm us and undermine our critical work to protect civil rights and fight Islamophobia, we remain undeterred. Our staff and community have demonstrated incredible resolve in the face of hate. And we are more committed than ever to our mission.
Our Priorities Moving Forward
Our dedicated team has a renewed commitment to our mission: to protect and defend the civil rights of Ohio Muslims. And we are moving forward with several guiding principles:
1. Our community comes first, always.
2. We value transparency and accountability.
3. We will never be intimidated from practicing our faith or doing our work. Nothing can harm us except with the will of Allah SWT.
In addition to continuing the fight against Islamophobia and the likes of IPT, much of work for 2022 is centered around the following:
Strengthening Our Organizational Infrastructure: As we continue strengthening our organizational infrastructure in areas of security, training, and policies, our goal is to ensure all Muslim institutions in the state have what they need to be safe and protected from these malicious Islamophobic attacks.
Building & Elevating Community Power: Through advocacy, civic engagement, identifying and addressing key issues, and uplifting community activism, CAIR-Ohio is working for AND alongside the Ohio Muslim community toward collective empowerment.
Establishing & Improving Partnerships: We are focused on strengthening and creating new relationships and coalitions with masajid in Central and Southwest Ohio, as well as partners working toward social justice, equity, and civic power.
Prioritizing Multiply Marginalized Muslim Communities: All Muslims face Islamophobia, but Muslims who also identify as part of additional groups that are frequently marginalized face compounded systems of oppression. CAIR-Ohio is specifically prioritizing its relationships and work with the Somali Muslim community and other Black Muslim communities. This includes working toward improved representation within CAIR-Ohio staff, intern, and board member roles.
Our Work Continues
Protecting Civil Rights. Fighting Bigotry. Promoting Tolerance.