(COLUMBUS, OH, 05/03/19) – On Sunday, April 28 and Monday, April 29, CAIR-Columbus organized three active shooter mosque trainings. The trainings, which were attended by 150 people over the two-day period, were conducted by Nezar Hamze, a Deputy Sheriff in Broward County, Florida and former Operations Director for CAIR-Florida.
Hamze covered a wide array of topics including how to use self-defense weapons, such as pepper spray, and what steps mosques can take to deter active shooters. Hamze also conducted individual security assessments of various mosques in central Ohio.
CAIR recorded a 17 percent increase in anti-Muslim bias incidents nationwide in 2017 over 2016. This was accompanied by a 15 percent increase in hate crimes targeting American Muslims, including children, youth, and families, over the same period. Central-Ohio Muslims who have been victims of violent crime and other forms of discrimination should contact CAIR-Columbus for assistance by filing an incident report online at: https://www.cair-ohio.com/
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