Fw: Breaking: CAIR-Ohio Calls for Hate Crime Probe of Assault on Muslim Woman in Columbus | CAIR-CA, CIPC Join 120+ Orgs in Urging Action for Mahmoud Khalil, Condemning Targeting of Yunseo Chung‏

The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OH) today called on local, state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate an alleged assault on a Muslim woman as a possible hate crime.

Video shows the woman, who is of Somali heritage, allegedly being assaulted March 20 in Columbus as she waited for her children’s school bus. The victim believes she was targeted because of her faith and ethnicity. She was treated and released at a nearby hospital.

In a statement, Khalid Turaani, Executive Director of CAIR-Ohio Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton chapters, said:

“This attack is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of discrimination and hostility that marginalized communities face daily. It is imperative that authorities act swiftly to ensure justice for the victim and her family and to demonstrate that Columbus will not tolerate such alleged acts of violence and intimidation.

“We request that local, state and federal law enforcement authorities investigate this disturbing incident as a possible hate crime and provide a response to the affected parties and community regarding the efforts taken to remedy the issue.”

He said CAIR-Ohio is demanding that police obtain video from nearby apartment buildings to identify and confirm the alleged assailants’ actions, arrest and charge all individuals allegedly responsible for the attack under applicable assault and hate crime statutes, and conduct an internal review of the police officers who responded to the scene to assess their handling of the case and determine whether any misconduct occurred.

Turaani also called for the implementation of cultural competency and sensitivity training for all Columbus Division of Police officers to ensure better engagement with immigrant and minority communities and for the appointment of a law enforcement liaison to work directly with immigrant communities.

Last week, CAIR-Ohio welcomed the firing of an employee of the Columbus Community Shelter Board who allegedly posted anti-Muslim videos on his YouTube channel. 

Earlier this month, Washington, D.C., based CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report “Unconstitutional Crackdowns,” which reveals that Islamophobia continues to be at an all-time high across the country. 

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CONTACT: CAIR-OH Executive Director Khalid Turaani, 614-401-6692, kturaani@cair.com; CAIR-OH Communications Coordinator Sara Abou Rashed, 614-219-7330, sabourashed@cair.com