Last week, Mahmoud El-Yousseph, a Columbus-area Muslim and retired U.S. Air Force veteran, came across an offensive target at a local gun range called AimHi. Mr. El-Yousseph and his son were both offended by the target, which appeared to be a skeleton caricature of a man wearing an Arab style headdress.
Mr. El-Yousseph informed the President of AimHi, Claire Marvin, about the target and was pleasantly surprised when he quickly agreed with his assessment of the target as offensive and agreed to remove it immediately.
Additionally, when Mr. El-Yousseph asked if he minded AimHi’s name being used in a public release calling for people to thank the business for their swift action, his response stated in part, “If some people are offended or bigoted enough to have a problem with our being an inclusive business, then we prefer they not patronize AimHi. We are very proud of our store, our industry and ALL of our customers. We believe the shooting sports are for everyone no matter the race, religion, etc.”
This incident comes on the heels of business owners in many other states attempting to establish Muslim-free businesses. Last year, CAIR along with 80 other advocacy groups, asked the Department of Justice to investigate such discriminatory and illegal practices. CAIR has also filed a lawsuit against a Gun Range in Oklahoma for posting a “Muslim-Free -Zone” sign.
In response to the swift action taken by AimHi, we would like to encourage local Muslims and others who value inclusion to thank AimHi for it’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity, and for ensuring their establishment will be a welcoming business for all patrons.
Contact info for Mr. Marvin:
Mr. Claire Marvin
President
AimHi Family Firearms Center
10299 Johnstown Rd.
New Albany, OH 43054
614-939-4867