On Sunday, January 28th, CAIR-Columbus hosted an Anti-Bullying Conference at the Upper Arlington Public Library.
Attendees were given a comprehensive understanding of bullying and how to address it. CAIR-Columbus Public Affairs Coordinator, Usjid Hameed, began the event the by telling audience members about the definition of bullying, actors involved, statistics related to bullying, and much more. Student attendees then attended a separate anti-bullying workshop focused on active bystander intervention and tactics to utilize when being bullied.
During the parent session, CAIR-Columbus Legal Director, Romin Iqbal, educated parents about the legal steps they can take to address bullying against their children. Afterwards, the parents heard from a panel of diverse professionals discussing the long term impacts of bullying, how parents can create a line of open and honest communication with their children to discuss bullying, and fielded questions from the audience.
The panel was facilitated by CAIR-Columbus Operation Coordinator Monuza Ashraf.
“It is incredibly inspiring to see so many parents taking the time out of their day to come educate themselves and their children on how to deal with bullying,” Ashraf said. “I hope that parents and children continue to have these conversations with one another and amongst themselves so that they can be better prepared if they are ever are faced with bullying.”
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.