Author: Usjid Hameed

On Thursday, October 18, CAIR-Columbus Public Affairs 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, addressed the importance of interaction between law enforcement and Muslim communities, shared some of the challenges faced by CAIR-Columbus when working with law enforcement, and fielded questions from the class.

(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 9/28/18) – Earlier this week, more than 120 Ohio Muslims took part in almost 50 meetings with lawmakers and their staff during the 2nd annual “Muslim Day at the State Capitol” event at the Ohio Statehouse hosted by that state’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio).

The event focused on empowering Ohio’s American-Muslim community and advocating for fair policing practices, higher wages, and increased gun safety measures. The event’s attendance was twice as large as last year’s State Capitol Day.

SEE VIDEO: CAIR-Ohio Hosts CAIR-Ohio Hosts Muslim Day at the State Capitol with Focus on Police Bias and Gun Safety

SEE PHOTOS HERE

On Saturday, August 25^th , CAIR-Columbus hosted its “Pizza and Politics” candidate forum in the Ohio State University’s U.S. Bank Conference Theater.

Participants included Richard Cordray, former CFPB Director and candidate for Governor, and Steve Dettelbach, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio and candidate for Attorney General. The event lasted approximately 90 minutes and was attended by over 100 people. The candidates took questions prepared by CAIR-Columbus and questions asked by audience members. Questions focused on the Mueller probe, student debt, and election security, among many other topics.

The forum was moderated by CAIR-Columbus Legal Director Romin Iqbal and CAIR-Columbus Public Affairs Coordinator Usjid Hameed.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, CAIR-Ohio does not endorse any particular candidate or political party for any office.

CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization.  The CAIR-Ohio affiliate has three chapters in Ohio – Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati.  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.

Watch the video below:

https://www.facebook.com/caircolumbus/videos/633695460358913/

On Friday, July 13th CAIR-Columbus Public Affairs Coordinator Usjid Hameed was honored alongside four other young activists as a “Hidden Hero” by the Andrew Goodman Foundation (AGF) for his work around social justice and voter registration.

The AGF, named after one of the civil rights activists killed in the Freedom Summer of 1964 for registering African-Americans to vote, focuses on engaging young people in the political process. Usjid currently serves a Puffin Democracy Fellow with the Foundation and previously served as a Vote Everywhere Ambassador while he was an undergraduate at Towson University. His Expanding the Ballot project seeks to provide language assistance to voters on Election Day who are not proficient in English in Franklin County. 

On Saturday, June 30th, CAIR-Columbus Public Affairs Coordinator Usjid Hameed spoke at the “Families Belong Together” action, which took place at the Ohio Statehouse.

The goal of the event was to urge policy makers to end the administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, end family detention, and to immediately reunify families that were separated at the border. The event was co-sponsored by CAIR-Columbus, the Ohio Hispanic Coalition, the Central Ohio Worker Center, and many other organizations. CAIR-Columbus played a leading role in organizing the action.

On Sunday, July 1, CAIR-Columbus Legal Director Romin Iqbal appeared on the Channel 10 show “Face the State” with Scott Light. The discussion covered the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Muslim Ban and the upcoming 2018 elections.

Other guests included Tracey Winbush, Treasurer of the Ohio Republican Party, and Dr. Suzanne Marilley, Professor of History and Political Science at Capital University.

You can watch the show here: https://www.10tv.com/article/face-state-scott-light-july-1-2018

On Tuesday, June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision in support of President Trump’s Muslim Ban. While this decision is disappointing, we will continue fighting.

CAIR-Columbus hosted a press conference offering their reactions to the decision. View the press conference here: https://www.facebook.com/caircolumbus/videos/1991377117600142/

Since December 4, 2017, the Muslim Ban has been in full effect for certain individuals from: Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. All are facing difficulty in their applications for visas to be united with family, study in the U.S., get medical treatment, or visit for tourism.

In this advisory we cover the current status of the Muslim Ban, who is impacted, as well as information about the so-called waiver process. Please note that this information is subject to change based on the various legal challenges. We will update you should changes happen.

On Saturday, June 9^th, CAIR-Columbus’ Public Affairs Coordinator Usjid Hameed spoke to the Columbus Academy of Leadership (CAL) about the importance of civic engagement.

CAL is a non-profit organization that works to improve leadership skills of high school and college age-youth as well as adults through its programs. The June 9^th event by CAL featured youth preparing gifts for underprivileged children in the community and then listening to speakers who discussed civic engagement related topics. Along with covering the importance of being engaged, Hameed registered voters, spoke about why it is vital to know who one’s elected representatives are, how to contact them, and how young people can get engaged in the political process.

From April 26th- April 28th, CAIR-Columbus Public Affairs Coordinator Usjid Hameed attended the CAIR Civil Rights Tour in Alabama, as part of a delegation of approximately 30 national leaders from CAIR chapters around the country.

The trip centered around the Equal Justice Initiative opening of its Legacy Museum, which chronicles the history of African-Americans in the United States from slavery to mass incarceration, and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which is dedicated the victims of lynching.

The museum is located on the site of a former warehouse where black people were enslaved in Montgomery, Alabama and uses interactive media, sculpture, videography and exhibits to immerse visitors in the sights and sounds of the domestic slave trade, racial terrorism, the Jim Crow South, and the world’s largest prison system. The memorial is located on a six-acre site atop a rise overlooking Montgomery and is a sacred space for truth-telling and reflection about racial terror in America and its legacy.

Attendees of the Civil Rights Tour also visited Selma and walked across the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge as well as Birmingham where they toured the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

On Sunday, April 29th, CAIR-Columbus Public Affairs Coordinator Usjid Hameed spoke at the 2nd Annual Interfaith March for Peace and Justice in downtown Columbus.

The Interfaith March for Peace & Justice is a nonpartisan event meant to affirm the freedom of religion and to condemn all acts of discrimination directed at people because of their religion, race, or place of origin. The March was initiated by a small group of people in Columbus, Ohio in April 2017 and has now spread to cities across the country. Hameed spoke about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) “Visa Lifecycle Vetting” program, formerly known as the “Extreme Vetting Initiative.”

The program is ICE’s plan to monitor Twitter, Facebook, and other parts of the internet via machine learning to automatically flag people for deportation or visa denial and poses a severe threat to all immigrants. Hameed encouraged attendees to call Senator Portman, who sits on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and ask him to work to halt the implementation and funding of the program.

On Saturday, April 7th, CAIR-Columbus hosted a District 15 Congressional Candidate Forum at the Upper Arlington Public Library.

Participants included Rob Jarvis and Rick Neal. All the candidates were invited to participate. The forum lasted approximately 90 minutes and was attended by over 70 people. Questions focused on the Syrian Civil War, health care, tariffs, defense spending, DACA, and more. The forum was moderated by CAIR-Columbus Legal Director Romin Iqbal and CAIR-Columbus Public Affairs Coordinator Usjid Hameed.

CAIR-Columbus announced today the release of its 2018 Primary Election Voting Guide and Governor’s Candidate Questionnaire. The guide contains important dates for registering to vote, the primaries and identification requirements.  The questionnaire was sent to all of the candidates to get their feedback on issues of concern to the Muslim community. The guide and questionnaire can be viewed here.

On Tuesday, March 27, CAIR-Columbus Legal Director, Romin Iqbal, appeared on WOSU’s “All Sides with Ann Fisher” to discuss issues relating to anti-Muslim bias in media’s coverage of terrorism. The conversation occurred just days following the suicide of a man from Austin, Texas after he took the lives of two innocents and injured four others.

The segment also featured Emily Davidson, who teaches media and terrorism at The Ohio State University, and Kevin E. Grisham, assistant director of research, at the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.

“It is an unfortunate reality that the media continues to have a double standard when it comes to its coverage of terrorism, where only people of color are labeled as terrorists for committing acts of mass violence, while perpetrators who are not people of color are labeled as merely ‘troubled’ individuals,” Iqbal said. “This double standard legitimizes fear mongering of immigrants and Muslims. The media must act in a more even-handed manner.”

Watch the entire program here.

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.

From March 17th – 18th, CAIR-Columbus Public Affairs Coordinator, Usjid Hameed, attended the Muslim Voter Engagement Convening in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Convening was hosted by the Georgia Muslim Voter Project and was attended by over 40 American-Muslim leaders, representing various Muslim-centric organizations, from across the country. Attendees learned and discussed best practices around civic and community engagement.

“The Muslim Voter Engagement Convening provided an excellent opportunity for American-Muslim organizers and advocates to network and exchange ideas to help create enduring civic engagement infrastructure in their communities,” Hameed said. “Muslim activist spaces cannot be sustained by only mobilizing in reaction to discriminatory policies by the Whitehouse. It is imperative that American-Muslims focus on building lasting power in their communities to sustain long-term, meaningful change.”

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, CAIR-Ohio does not endorse any particular candidate or political party for any office.

CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. The CAIR-Ohio affiliate has three chapters in Ohio – Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati. 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.