(COLUMBUS, OH, 1/3/20) – The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, called today for the arrest and prosecution of a man who allegedly
Author: Monuza Ashraf
(COLUMBUS, OH, 6/13/19) The Columbus Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Columbus) today launched a petition urging Ohioans to call on their representatives in Congress to support the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 and to pressure China to close its concentration camps where up to 3 million Uyghur Muslims are being held arbitrarily.
TAKE ACTION HERE!
(COLUMBUS, OH 05/23/19) – On Saturday May 18th, CAIR-Columbus held its 23rd Annual “Sharing Ramadan” Iftar. During this sold-out event Muslims shared breaking their fast with interfaith guests. Ramadan is the Islamic month during which Muslims abstain from food and drink from before dawn to after sunset. During this month, Muslims are encouraged to focus on spiritual renewal, God-consciousness, empathizing with others and shaping community relationships.
CAIR-Columbus announced today the release of its 2019 Primary Election Voting Guide. The guide contains important dates for registering to vote, the primaries and identification requirements. The guide can be viewed here
(COLUMBUS, OH, 4/12/19) – The Columbus, Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Columbus) announced today that it has successfully resolved another green card delay lawsuit.
The suit, filed in Federal court for the Southern District of Ohio, was on behalf of a local Muslim man, Mr. Marwan Alobaidi, whose green card application had been pending for almost 18 months without adjudication. He had no criminal history and had met all the requirements for adjusting his status to that of a lawful permanent resident. Mr. Alobaidi and his family had to flee their native home in Iraq. Upon arrival to the U.S. they were granted refugee status.
Mr. Alobaidi sent numerous inquiries to USCIS regarding the status of his application but was repeatedly told that his case was in “administrative processing” or that the application was “under review by an officer.” When it was clear that his issue was not being resolved, he contacted the Columbus chapter of CAIR-Ohio for help in getting his green card.
“We are pleased to announce that since the filing of our lawsuit in March, we were able to successfully resolve the delay in adjudication, and our client, Mr. Marwan Alobaidi, has received his green card,” said CAIR-Columbus Legal Director Romin Iqbal.
Ohio Muslims who are facing similar delays are encouraged to contact CAIR-Columbus for assistance by filing an incident report
(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 3/28/19) – The Columbus chapter of the Council on American-Relations announced today the filing of an employment discrimination charge on behalf of a Muslim-Somali man for wrongful termination against his previous employer.
The Muslim man began his employment at the local company in 2008. He was promoted several times throughout his time at the company, and around 2014 he became a production supervisor overseeing nearly seventy employees. Performing his supervisory responsibilities competently and with merit, he did not receive any disciplinary warnings or negative performance reviews while serving as a production supervisor.
Around 2018, the Muslim employee was confronted by Human Resources about false and malicious complaints submitted by some of his Caucasian female subordinates. The complaints were racially charged and littered with xenophobic rhetoric relating to his country of origin. Protesting these allegations, the Muslim employee informed Human Resources that his subordinates continuously discriminated against him and even ridiculed him by warning him not to leave the United States because “Trump has banned [his] country.”
Shortly thereafter, Human Resources terminated the Muslim employee without providing any reason in the termination letter. Prior to these events, no issues of his work performance were ever raised. As such, the Muslim employee strongly believes he was wrongfully terminated because he complained about the discriminatory treatment and that the termination itself was based on his race, religion, and national origin.
Seeking legal guidance on the matter, the Muslim employee turned to CAIR-Columbus. Together, they filed a charge with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission and are awaiting the company’s response.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. The CAIR-Ohio Affiliate has three chapters – Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Ohio, Columbus Chapter Legal Director Romin Iqbal, 614-451-3232, riqbal@cair.com
CAIR-Columbus, interfaith partners and local mosques held a press conference following the terror attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, during prayers on Friday March 15, 2019. See the full press conference video here.
CAIR-Columbus is urging mosques and other Islamic institutions to take measures outlined in its “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety” booklet. The advice in CAIR’s security publication is applicable to all institutions, regardless of organizational mission.
The booklet may be viewed at: https://tinyurl.com/BestSafetyPractices
In a statement, CAIR-Columbus Executive Director Romin Iqbal said:
“We mourn the heartbreaking killings of men, women and children gathered for prayer in their houses of worship in an attack that was motivated by anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant hate. In the wake of this tragedy, we urge mosques, Islamic schools and other community institutions in Central Ohio to take stepped-up security precautions, particularly during times of communal prayer. We also urge local police departments to provide additional security and increased patrolling of local mosques and Muslim institutions in Central Ohio”
“Instead of spreading the hate-filled message of terrorists, we should share messages of love and solidarity with the loved ones of those killed or injured in the attacks,” said Iqbal.
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. CAIR-Ohio has three affiliates in Ohio in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Columbus Executive Director, Romin Iqbal, 614.783.7953, riqbal@cair.com; CAIR-Columbus Government Affairs Coordinator, Usjid Hameed, 410.805.4215, uhameed@cair.com
Survey shows 95 percent of eligible Muslim voters turned out at the polls, favored Democrats over Republicans by 78% to 17%
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/7/18) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today released the results of its “American Muslim Voters and the 2018 Midterm Election” exit poll indicating that 95 percent of eligible Muslim voters turned out at the polls. Seventy-eight percent of Muslim voters cast ballots for Democratic Party candidates and 17 percent for Republican Party candidates.
READ THE ENTIRE REPORT: American Muslim Voters and the 2018 Midterm Election
[NOTE: CAIR also released a preliminary list of 55 Muslims elected to public office in 2018. GO TO:https://tinyurl.com/MuslimsElectedin2018 ]
“The high turn out of Muslim voters and the election of Muslims and members of other minority communities nationwide are an affirmation of the strength and diversity of our political system and a rebuke to the Trump administration’s divisive and fear-based policies,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “It was obvious that many young people who voted Tuesday were concerned about the direction of our nation and wished to make their voices heard in their local community and in Washington, D.C.”
SEE: CAIR-SFBA Celebrates Election of Five American Muslims to Local Office
CAIR-NJ Recognizes Historic Night of NJ Muslim Election Victories Statewide
CAIR’s survey results were drawn from a random sample telephone survey of 1,027 American Muslim registered voters conducted by an independent polling firm. Survey participants were drawn from a database of more than 250,000 Muslim voter households. Calls were conducted on the evening of November 6. Respondents included 650 men and 377 women from across the nation. The poll’s margin of error is +/- 3.1%, with a confidence level of +/- 95%.
Highlights of CAIR Exit Poll Findings:
- 95% of registered Muslim voters cast ballots in this year’s midterm election.
- 78% of Muslim voters primarily voted for the Democratic Party candidates and 17% for Republican Party candidates.
- 46% of Muslim voters consider themselves liberal on social issues, while 35% consider themselves conservative.
- 43% of Muslim voters consider themselves fiscally conservative, while 40% consider themselves liberal.
- 26% of Muslim voters who primarily voted for Democratic candidates perceived themselves as being conservative on social issues. Moreover, 36% perceived themselves as being fiscally conservative.
- 68% of Muslim voters thought Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S. increased while 17% thought it decreased in the past year.
- 78% of registered Muslim voters who primarily voted for Democratic Party candidates thought Islamophobia has increased in the past year. Conversely, only 33% of registered Muslim voters who primarily voted for Republican Party candidates thought Islamophobia has increased in the past year.
- 53% of Muslim voters became more interested in politics since the 2016 Presidential election, while 34% maintained the same level of interest in politics and 13% became less interested in politics.
- 55% of Muslim voters have become more actively involved in politics and/or civically engaged since the 2016 Presidential election, while 45% have not.
- Out of those Muslim voters who have become more actively involved in politics and/or civically engaged since 2016 Presidential election:
- 20% have donated to a political or social campaign.
- 25% have donated their time by volunteering with a local charity or civic-minded or religious organization.
- 18% have donated their expertise by using their skills and/or network to advance social/political engagement.
- 37% have primarily been involved in another way.
- Muslim voters who primarily voted for Republican Party candidates were more likely to contribute money as their primary form of involvement, while Muslim voters who primarily voted for Democratic Party candidates were more likely to volunteer with a local charity or civically minded or religious organization.
- 15% of Muslim voters are very involved in activities at their mosque or Islamic Center, while 26% are somewhat involved, 27% are not very involved, 28% are not at all involved, and 4% refused to answer.
- 49% of Muslim voters who primarily voted for Republican Party candidates were more likely to not at all be involved in activities at the mosque or Islamic Center in comparison to their Democratic Party supporting counterparts (23%).
- 63% of survey respondents identified as male and 37% as female.
- Muslim women are more likely to support Democratic Party candidates and less likely to support Republican Party candidates than their male counterparts.
Last night, CAIR welcomed the victories of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. Ilhan Omar won in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District and Rashida Tlaib won in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District. In Indiana, Rep. André Carson (D) also won his re-election bid for the 7th District.
CAIR and its chapters nationwide have mobilized community members to vote during the primary and general elections.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
COLUMBUS–During a telephonic town hall meeting on Tuesday, representatives from All Voting is Local, CAIR-Columbus, CRIS as well as Ann Fisher from All Sides educated new citizens about the electoral process to empower Ohio voters who speak Arabic, Chinese, Nepalese, Somali and Spanish.
Advocates notified by phone or text, an estimated 30,000 new American voters to participate in the telephone town hall. The call offered an opportunity for voters to ask questions about the voting process and to learn about the coalition’s effort to recruit multilingual poll workers to staff polling places on Nov. 6.
All Voting is Local and CAIR have worked to recruit poll workers throughout Ohio, part of a campaign to tackle the nationwide shortage of poll workers. The campaign, “Be the Difference, Be a Poll Worker” has used billboards, print, digital and radio ads in various languages to ensure polling places throughout Ohio are staffed with enough trained workers. Since August, organizers have recruited over 35 poll workers in 4 languages.
To learn more about where multilingual poll workers will be placed on election day, please visit, http://bit.ly/NewAmericanVote.
(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 10/3/2018) — The Columbus, Ohio, chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Columbus) announced today that it has successfully resolved another citizenship delay lawsuit.
The suit, filed in federal court for the Southern District of Ohio, was on behalf of a local Muslim man, Mr. Mohamed Djebbari, who had been a lawful permanent resident of the United States since 2010.
Mr. Djebbari works as a religious teacher in a local Columbus mosque. Even though Mr. Djebbari had no criminal record and had met all requirements of eligibility for receiving his citizenship, his application for citizenship was not adjudicated by USCIS for nearly three years.
Mr. Djebbari made numerous inquiries with USCIS to check on the status of his application. When his issue did not get resolved, he also contacted the office of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown to seek his help in resolving this matter. USCIS informed the office of Senator Brown that they were monitoring the progress of Mr. Djebbari’s case and did not provide any other information.
After waiting for close to three years, Mr. Djebbari contacted the CAIR-Columbus legal department to seek their help in getting his application adjudicated.
“We are pleased to announce that since the filing of our lawsuit, we were able to successfully resolve the delay in adjudication, and our client was officially sworn in as a United States citizen last week,” said CAIR-Columbus Legal Director Romin Iqbal, one of the attorneys who filed the case. “Applicants from Muslim-majority countries are often subjected to lengthy delays in all types of immigration applications because they are viewed with suspicion by USCIS due to their country of origin, travel or other subjective criteria that does not actually bar them from qualifying for the immigration benefit they seek.”
CAIR-Columbus has reported an increase in immigration delays of all types and has filed immigration-related lawsuits for over 43 plaintiffs just since the beginning of 2017. The majority of those cases have already been successfully resolved in favor of plaintiffs.
Ohio Muslims who are facing similar delays are being urged to contact CAIR-Columbus for assistance by filing an incident report online at: https://www.cair-ohio.com
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.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Columbus Legal Director Romin Iqbal, 614-451-3232, riqbal@cair.com
(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 10/3/2018) — The Columbus, Ohio, chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Columbus) announced today that it has successfully resolved another citizenship delay lawsuit.
The suit, filed in federal court for the Southern District of Ohio, was on behalf of a local Muslim physician, Dr. Aasim Rehman, who had been a lawful permanent resident of the United States since 2014.
(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 9/19/2018) — The Columbus, Ohio, chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Columbus) announced today that it has successfully resolved another citizenship delay lawsuit.
The suit, filed in federal court for the Southern District of Ohio, was on behalf of Mounir Sanhaji, a Muslim doctor of Moroccan origin, who has been living in Central Ohio for over 15 years. Mr. Sanjahi was a legal permanent resident of the United States. He has been working as a doctor for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the last 13 years.
(COLUMBUS, OH 05/26/18) – More than 200 people from different faiths and backgrounds attended CAIR-Columbus’ 22nd Annual sold out “Sharing Ramadan” Iftar, or fast-breaking meal, on Friday, May 25 in Columbus, Ohio. Ramadan is the Islamic month during which Muslims abstain from food and drink from before dawn to after sunset. During this month, Muslims also focus on spirituality, avoid vices, and renew community relationships.
(COLUMBUS, OH – May 25, 2018) CAIR-Columbus today announced the successful resolution of a lawsuit against the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem for unreasonably delaying an immigrant visa for the Palestinian wife of a U.S. citizen. The couple was married in 2015 and promptly filed the appropriate applications immediately thereafter. Once USCIS sent the application to the US Consulate in Jerusalem it sat unadjudicated for well over two years causing the couple to remain separated unnecessarily – the husband living in the United States and the wife remaining in Palestine.
CAIR-Columbus announced today the filing of a federal lawsuit in the Northern District of Ohio against the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Attorney General of the United States, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), on behalf of a Muslim legal permanent resident from Uzbekistan whose citizenship application has been pending for an unreasonable amount of time – well over seventeen months without an interview.