Author: Fadila Gitosuputro

(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 05/07/2021) – On Wednesday, May 5, the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) and the Hilliard Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate CAIR-Ohio’s new central Ohio office.

City and Chamber officials were on hand to formally welcome the team to Hilliard. CAIR-Ohio’s previous central Ohio office was located in Dublin.

“We have an expression in Hilliard that we ‘choose Hilliard’ and we’re so glad that CAIR-Ohio chose to have their headquarters here,” said Hilliard Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Libby Gierach.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of George Floyd and with all families struggling with loss due to police brutality.

CAIR-Ohio and the Ohio Muslim community stand firm in declaring that Black Lives Matter. The verdict delivered yesterday is a consequence of Derek Chauvin’s actions, but it does not solve the crisis of police brutality nor undo the systemic racism that perpetuates it. Doctrines such as qualified immunity too often shield police from accountability and outsized policing budgets drain resources away from needed community services. We know the work continues to build safe and equitable communities for all.

(COLUMBUS, OHIO 1/25/2021) – On Thursday, January 21, the Ohio Chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) participated in a panel to honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and reflect on the continuing role of organized religion in the social justice movement.

CAIR-Ohio Government Affairs and Development Director Usjid Hameed spoke about the importance of justice in Islam, how American Muslims reacted in the wake of the George Floyd killing, why religious leaders must speak about social justice to their congregations, and more.

The panel can be viewed here. 

The panel was hosted by the Center for Ethics and Human Values at Ohio State University (OSU) and co-sponsored by the Ohio Council of Churches and the Center for the Study of Religion at OSU.

(COLUMBUS, OHIO 12/11/2020) – On Thursday, December 3, CAIR-Ohio rallied in front of Butler County Jail last Thursday alongside coalition partners and community leaders to protest the ongoing abuses at the facility. The event was part of a campaign surrounding a lawsuit filed on behalf of two African immigrants from Columbus, Bayong Brown Bayong and Ahmed Adem, who is Muslim. 

Bayong and Adem were subjected to repeated acts of violence, slurs, and anti-Muslim abuse by Butler County Jail corrections officers. Bayong suffered serious physical injury, including a lost tooth, for which he has yet to receive medical care. During one of the assaults Adem suffered, a corrections officer took his prayer rug and attempted to throw it into the toilet.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that three American Muslim men who were placed or kept on the No-Fly List in retaliation for refusing to serve as terrorism informants may sue individual FBI agents for interfering with their freedom to practice their religion.

Casey Goodson Jr., a young black man, was shot and killed by a Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy when coming home from a dental appointment on Friday, December 4.

Systemic and institutional racism has made violence against black people all too common. We demand that justice be served for Casey and his family. We call on community members to support Casey’s family in their pursuit for justice.

(COLUMBUS, OHIO 10/29/2020) – On Friday, October 23, the Ohio Chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) held a virtual, non-partisan “Meet the Candidates” forum on Zoom. Attendees were given the opportunity to hear from candidates running for office in Hamilton County.

(COLUMBUS, OH, 10/26/2020) – The Ohio office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) today announced that after three years of delay, Khalif Abukar, an Ohio Muslim, finally received his passport as a result of a lawsuit filed by CAIR-Ohio last month.

(COLUMBUS, OHIO 10/22/2020) – On Sunday, October 18, the Ohio Chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) held an in-person, non-partisan “Meet the Candidates” forum at Lynd Fruit Farm in central Ohio. Attendees were given the opportunity to hear from candidates running for office in Franklin County.

(COLUMBUS, OHIO 10/22/2020) – On Friday, October 16, the Ohio Chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) held an in-person, non-partisan “Meet the Candidates” forum at Dayton Mercy Society (DMS). Attendees were given the opportunity to hear from candidates running for office in Montgomery County.

(COLUMBUS, OHIO 10/9/2020) – On Friday, October 9, the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) held a “Know Your Rights” workshop at the Islamic Center of Mason in Mason, Ohio.

(COLUMBUS, OHIO 10/9/2020) – The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) has successfully completed twenty Voter Registration Events at local mosques in Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Toledo as part of the Get Out the Vote efforts in Ohio that began in early September.