(CLEVELAND, OH, 04/11/23) – On Tuesday, April 11, the interim executive director and civil rights advocate of the Cleveland and Northern Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Ohio (CAIR-Ohio) presented for students at Kent State University – Trumbull on the topic of hate crimes in Ohio.
CAIR-Ohio was invited by Dr. Mary Wilson, a professor of the university’s victimology course. During their presentation, CAIR-Ohio, Cleveland and Northern Ohio Interim Executive Director Faten Odeh and Civil Rights Advocate Chance Zurub presented about Islam, Islamophobia in America, the absence of explicit hate crimes statutes in Ohio, and implored the students to brainstorm the best way to address the gaps in reporting and how Ohio legislation could better address hate crimes.
“Simply calling a hate crime “ethnic intimidation” [as the Ohio legislation refers to] weakens the severity of the crime. The students brought up some good points that technically a hate crime does not explicitly apply to only ethnicity; it can apply to an array of other categories such as how people either label others or how individuals choose to identify. I was really impressed by the interest the students at Kent State University-Trumbull showed in making real change by brainstorming ways to address our legislators about the Ohio crime statutes or lack thereof,” said Faten Odeh.
The CAIR-Cleveland & Northern Ohio chapter is excited to work with students and continue to collaborate on how to better our community and state. To book a speaker or a workshop from CAIR, please contact us directly at 216.830.2247 or email events@cleveland.cair.com.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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