On Monday, March 19th, CAIR-Columbus Public Affairs Coordinator, Usjid Hameed, spoke about Islam at the Ohio State University to undergraduate students in a social work class.
Hameed discussed the vast diversity of beliefs in Islam, dispelled myths about Muslims, shared some of his own experiences growing up as an American-Muslim, advised students how to be culturally competent when working with Muslims, and fielded questions from the class.
The instructor of the class said the following to Hameed after the presentation – “Thank you so much for your time and information today. The class was buzzing for another half hour after you left. They were very appreciative of you sharing your own stories and presenting in a way that they could relate. I really appreciated the focus on data and the impact of learning about candidates and voting.”
“Although CAIR-Columbus is known for its legal work, these presentations are just as vital in upholding the civil rights and dignity of American-Muslims as they help to mitigate the discriminatory policies we eventually combat,” Hameed said. “The class asked insightful and fair questions about Islamic norms and practices. Hopefully, we can continue to learn about one another as knowledge is a powerful cure for fear and misunderstanding.”
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.
