(DAYTON, OHIO 10/9/2020) – On Friday, October 2nd, the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) held an in-person, non-partisan “Meet the Candidates” forum at the Islamic Center of Greater Dayton (ISGD), where Muslim constituents had the chance to hear from candidates running for local offices in Greene County.
(COLUMBUS, OH, 9/3/2020) –The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a Khalif Abukar, an American Muslim of Somali origin who applied to renew his passport and whose application has been pending without reason for nearly three years.
(COLUMBUS, OH, 8/28/2020) – The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) announced the reunification of a Muslim couple following the successful resolution of a lawsuit against the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad for failing to process the immigrant visa of the Pakistani wife of a U.S. citizen.
Visit https://www.cair-ohio.com/request-legal-help/ and complete the form to request help from our legal team.
(COLUMBUS, OHIO – 3/6/2020) — The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) announced today the filing of a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, United States Department of State,
(COLUMBUS, OHIO 3/5/2020) – On Sunday, March 1, the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) held a “Know Your Rights” workshop at Masjid Al-Madina in Springfield, Ohio.
(COLUMBUS, OHIO 3/5/2020) – On Saturday, February 29, and Sunday, March 1, the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) presented on voting and civil rights at the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) Midwest Conference.
(COLUMBUS, OHIO 3/5/2020) On Sunday, March 1, the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) partnered with the U.S. Census Bureau to hold a learning session about the 2020 U.S. Census at the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati.
(COLUMBUS, OHIO 2/19/2020) On Friday, February 14, the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) held a learning session about the 2020 U.S. Census at Noor Islamic Cultural Center
(DAYTON, OHIO, 2/14/2020) – On Friday, February 7, CAIR-Ohio held a “Know Your Rights” workshop at the Islamic Society of Greater Dayton.
CAIR-Ohio Executive Director Romin Iqbal educated the audience about their rights at the airport and outlined the signs that would indicate someone is on a secret government watchlist.
(COLUMBUS, OHIO – 2/14/2020) The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) announced today the filing of a federal lawsuit against the United States Department of State,
(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 11/8/19) – On Monday, November 4, CAIR-Columbus organized a non-partisan phone bank to turn out voters for the November 5 general election.
(COLUMBUS, OH, 11/7/19) – The Columbus, Ohio, chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Columbus) announced today the successful resolution of a lawsuit against the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad for unreasonably delaying an immigrant visa for the Pakistani husband of a U.S. citizen.
Irum, a U.S. citizen, met Ahmad in Lahore, Pakistan in 2013. They got married in 2016. The couple filed the appropriate applications immediately thereafter. The USCIS approved their petition, and the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad interviewed Ahmad. However, his visa application was put on “administrative processing” without any further explanation.
Three years passed without Ahmad receiving his immigrant visa, forcing him and his wife to live apart. The couple contacted the embassy dozens of times pleading with them to process Ahmad’s application.
The family also contacted the office of their congressional representative to seek help in expediting the visa processing. However, none of these efforts were successful. The U.S. Embassy gave no guidance as to why the application was not being processed.
For three years, the couple put their lives and careers on hold and faced significant financial strain as Irum had to frequently travel to Pakistan to spend time with her husband.
In desperation, the family contacted CAIR-Columbus to seek assistance in this matter. CAIR-Columbus filed a federal mandamus lawsuit against the U.S. Department of State in order to force the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad to process the application.
The lawsuit was successfully resolved three months later with Ahmad receiving his visa, which finally allowed him to travel to the U.S. and reunite with his wife.
“Nobody should be forced to be away from their spouse for years for no legitimate reason. Immigration benefits should not be held hostage, and no one should be forced to resort to lawsuits to obtain a benefit which is their legal right,” said their attorney Romin Iqbal of CAIR-Columbus.
The couple said that they are extremely indebted to CAIR-Columbus because their long ordeal is finally over and they are now ready to move on with their lives.
Muslims facing similar delays are urged to contact CAIR-Columbus for assistance by filing an incident report online.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
The CAIR-Ohio Affiliate has three chapters – Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Columbus Executive Director Romin Iqbal, Esq., 614-783-7953, riqbal@cair.com
(COLUMBUS, OH, 10/30/19) – On Sunday, October 27, CAIR-Columbus partnered with Stand With Kashmir and other local organizations to hold a vigil in honor and remembrance of the besieged Kashmiri people.
In August, India revoked article 370 of the Indian constitution which took away the protected status of the Indian-controlled state of Jammu and Kashmir. India then instituted a curfew for the disputed Kashmir Valley and cut off the internet and telephone connections of its eight million residents. Since then, credible news outlets have widely reported continuing instances of human rights abuses. For instance, the Indian military has restricted food and medicine from entering the region as well as engaged in mass arrests and violence against innocent civilians, including minors.
People from across the state attended the event. Local Ohioans who have families in Kashmir have experienced difficulty when trying to speak to their loved ones and are extremely worried about the safety of their families who are being held captive in their own homes.
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The full list of organizations that co-sponsored this event includes Jewish Voice for Peace, Faith in Public Life, Somali Islamic Centers of Ohio, Islamic Foundation of Central Ohio, and Islamic Society of Greater Columbus.
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.
(COLUMBUS, OH, 10/28/2019) – On Thursday, October 17, CAIR-Columbus Government Affairs and Development Coordinator Usjid Hameed spoke about Islam and cultural competency to students enrolled in a multicultural policing class at Ohio University Lancaster Campus in Fairfield County.
During the presentation, Hameed discussed the diversity of beliefs in Islam, dispelled stereotypes, shared some of the challenges faced by CAIR-Columbus when working with law enforcement, and fielded various questions from the class.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. The CAIR-Ohio affiliate has three chapters in Ohio – Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati. Their 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.