CAIR-Ohio

(COLUMBUS, OH 12/13/22) – On Wednesday, December 8th, the Ohio chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) staff attended the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Ohio’s Annual Statehouse Day. Executive Director Amina Barhumi and Community Relations Assistant Shireen Shaaban joined over 150+ LWV members to push against legislation that could reduce early voting, make it harder for citizens to place initiatives on the ballot, or infringe on the rights of diverse Ohioans.

To kick off the event, Barhumi participated in an ‘Election in Review’ panel with Aaron Ockerman from Ohio Association of Elections Officials and Greer Aeschbury from All Voting is Local. They addressed and shed light upon issues associated with the 2022 Elections. They highlighted trends among voters, problems at the polls, how to appeal to underrepresented and minority voters, and much more. All of which helped in acknowledging ways to do better as community members in motivating voters for future elections.

Throughout the day, Barhumi and Shaaban contributed to worthy conversations with legislators, representatives, and LWV members from all over Ohio regarding crucial policies like House Joint Resolution 6 (HJR 6), House Bill 294, House Bill 458, and more.

Part of LWV Ohio’s Statehouse Day also included time for members to attend hearings and testify to HJR 6 and HB 294, which are legislation CAIR-Ohio has been closely monitoring and advocating against.

View CAIR-Ohio Community Relations Assistant Shireen Shaaban HJR 6 Opponent Testimony here.

View CAIR-Ohio Outreach Director Victoria Hickcox HB 294 Opponent Testimony here.

Take Action: Tell Ohio Representatives to Protect Citizen-Initiated Ballots

(COLUMBUS, OH, 12/12/22)– On Wednesday, December 7th, the Community Relations Assistant of the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), Shireen Shaaban, testified to the Ohio House Government Oversight Committee in opposition to House Joint Resolution 6, a resolution to require 60% vote for initiated constitutional amendment.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose and State Rep. Brian Stewart recently announced an effort to change the Ohio Constitution to make it nearly impossible for Ohio citizens to pass ballot initiatives to amend the state constitution. House Joint Resolution 6 (HJR6) is a constitutional amendment that, if passed, will raise the threshold to pass citizen-led Constitutional Amendments on the ballot from a simple majority (50% plus one) to a super majority (60%).

HJR6 would affect a wide range of issues, including redistricting reform. This impacts not only voting rights, but healthcare access, access to education, civil and economic justice, and much more. All of which apply to every Muslim and every Ohioan. This proposal would create an unfair, unpopular, and undemocratic process to bring issues that Ohioans care about to the ballot.

“Making the ballot initiative process even harder for citizens groups will make it almost impossible for anyone except big money special interests to successfully pass a ballot initiative in Ohio,” said Shaaban.

To learn more, visit Ohio Voter Rights Coalition website.

Watch Shireen Shaaban’s full witness testimony here.

Stop this attack on direct democracy in its tracks. TAKE ACTION here.

(COLUMBUS, OH, 12/12/22)– On Wednesday, December 7th, the Outreach Director of the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), Victoria Hickcox, testified to the Ohio House Government Oversight Committee in opposition to House Bill 294, the Enact Ohio Election Security and Modernization Act.

While House Bill 294 is masked as legislation to create a more secure election process, it includes a host of anti-voter provisions like limiting access to ballot drop boxes, imposing confusing voter-ID requirements, canceling early voting the Monday before Election Day, and shortening the absentee ballot request period, to name a few.

In 2020, Ohio conducted one of the most secure elections in its history with record-breaking voter turnout. While 2020 saw historic turnout for the presidential election, voter suppression remains a critical issue and research shows it persists and reflects racial discrimination in the voting process (“The Impact of Voter Suppression on Communities of Color,” Brennan Center for Justice).

House Bill 294 is legislation that will feed into voter suppression and reflect racial discrimination in the voting process. Additionally, this bill would create more barriers to the ballot box and make it harder for Ohioans to vote.

Some of the measures this bill will enforce include, eliminating the last day of early voting, limiting County Boards of Election to three drop boxes, restricting set up to county board offices, and permitting their use starting only 28 days before an election.

Additionally, the Sub. House Bill 294 requires citizenship status to be listed on Ohio driver’s licenses.

This sub bill would have a chilling impact on immigrants and noncitizens, outside of the consideration of voting. Based on discrimination complaints and issues that clients face, CAIR-Ohio recognizes that immigrants from across the world are often misclassified due to bias.

“Outlining a person’s citizen status on their ID will potentially open doors for discrimination, prejudice, and oppression in the most basic interactions.” said Hickcox.

Together, all these measures along with most of the new provisions would disproportionately impact Black and brown voters, students, voters with disabilities, low-income Ohioans, active-duty military, rural voters, and seniors.

To learn more, visit Ohio Voter Rights Coalition website.

Watch Victoria Hickox’s full witness testimony here.

(COLUMBUS, OH, 12/07/22) – On Wednesday, Nov. 30, CAIR-Ohio Community Relations Assistant Shireen Shaaban presented testimony to the Ohio Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee as a proponent for House Bill 353, the Testing Your Faith Act.

(CINCINNATI, OH, 12/01/22)– On Tuesday, the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) organized and led character-building and anti–bullying workshops for over 200 students from grades K-8 at the International Academy of Cincinnati (INTAC). CAIR-Ohio staff members were invited to speak on bullying prevention through an Islamic lens to Muslim youth.   

We are excited to announce that we will be hosting the Muslim Youth Leadership Program (MYLP) next year on Monday, January 16, 2023, at our Columbus office!

Muslim Healthcare Professionals Advocacy Network (MPAN) is a CAIR-Ohio project that seeks to empower Ohio Muslim healthcare professionals in advocating for equitable health care policy.

CAIR-Ohio is committed to the necessary work of empowering the community and combating anti-Muslim discrimination and Islamophobia.

(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 11/17/22)– CAIR-Ohio celebrates the historic win of over 80 Muslims who were elected to office this past week across the U.S., including two new members of the Ohio Legislature.

(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 11/17/22) – CAIR–Ohio recently joined First Global Investments (FGI) and Abubakr Asiddiq Islamic Center (AAIC) at the groundbreaking of their affordable housing development, Prairie Village Development in West Columbus.  

(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 11/17/22) – CAIR-Ohio speaks to more than fifty students at Thomas Worthington High School. Staff members were invited to speak as part of a speaker series for an American Politics class.

(COLUMBUS, OHIO 11/10/2022) — Since early voting began on October 12, CAIR-Ohio has focused on various Get-Out-the-Vote efforts in Central and Southwest Ohio to ensure that the Muslim community was informed and voted in the midterm general election.

(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 11/3/22) – On Saturday, October 29, the Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) held its 25th Annual Columbus Banquet at the Ohio Union at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 11/02/22) – CAIR-Ohio Executive Director Amina Barhumi recently joined other coalition partners of Faith in Public Life to march to Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office to pray for peace at the polls in this upcoming general election and for a multifaith, multiracial democracy that works for all Ohioans.