Latest news with #KhalidTuraani
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Yahoo
Community calls on Columbus police to file charges after attack on Somali woman
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Central Ohio's Chapter on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on the Columbus Division of Police to arrest and charge people who allegedly attacked a Somali mother last month. On March 20, a Somali woman was attacked after dropping off her child at the bus stop. Surveillance footage from the day released by police shows multiple people attacking her. Columbus police make domestic violence fight multilingual CAIR Ohio called it a hate crime and said Columbus police need to do more. 'We need to see some real action bringing those people to justice,' CAIR Ohio Executive Director Khalid Turaani said. 'It should not take from March 20 until now, it should not take a press conference.' About a week after the incident, the victim, CAIR Ohio, and other Somali community leaders met with Columbus police. CPD leaders gave the group an update on the case, saying they had identified two people allegedly involved and said charges would be filed against them soon. Since the meeting, CAIR Ohio leaders said they have not heard much from police and called on law enforcement to take action. Teenager accused of shooting ex-Ohio State wrestler Sammy Sasso sentenced to prison 'I am certain that law enforcement understands our concerns, but we need to see action and we need reassurance,' CAIR Ohio Community Advocate Ahisa Liban said. 'We need them to condemn this violent attack.' State Rep. Ismail Mohamed arranged the meeting between the Somali community and police, saying it was a positive experience and he trusts police to continue to investigate. 'So the city has been responsive, I think, but you can imagine it's a slow process and I can understand the frustration as well,' Mohamed said. 'I'm an attorney so I get it. But, you know, justice is not always swift.' He considers the attack a hate crime but understands that it is up to prosecutors to determine. 'I can understand the frustration that maybe things are not going as fast as possible, but certainly, you know, I think positive steps are being taken by the city of Columbus, by law enforcement, to, of course, be as responsive as they can,' Mohamed said. Former Ohio doctor's defamation case against Mount Carmel will go to trial In a statement, Columbus police said, 'Detectives with the Columbus Division of Police Zone Investigations Unit completed their investigation, identifying two individuals to be charged, one of whom is a minor. The City Attorney's Office is working with the victim to file criminal charges and will prosecute the case to the fullest extent possible.' In the statement, police also mentioned there was a complaint about the officers who responded to the attack on the woman, which is being independently investigated. Police said the division is committed to strengthening trust and communication with all immigrant and faith communities. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Express Tribune
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
CAIR calls for hate crime charges after attack on Muslim-Somali woman in US
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is calling on Columbus police to investigate an assault on a Muslim woman as a potential hate crime (CAIR) Listen to article A leading Muslim civil rights organisation has called on police in Ohio to investigate an attack on a Somali woman as a possible hate crime. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said the woman was assaulted by four suspects, described as white, outside an apartment building in Columbus on 20 March while she waited for her children's school bus. Video footage of the incident shows the group arguing with the woman before pushing her to the ground. One attacker repeatedly kicked her while she lay on the pavement, CAIR said. As she tried to return to the building, another person exited and struck her in the face. The woman, whose identity has not been released, was treated at a hospital and later discharged. She told CAIR she believes she was targeted because of her ethnicity and religion. 'This is not an isolated incident,' said Khalid Turaani, executive director of CAIR's Ohio chapters. 'It reflects a broader pattern of hostility and discrimination against marginalised communities.' The group is calling on police to collect and review CCTV footage from surrounding buildings and to pursue assault and hate crime charges against the suspects. In addition, CAIR urged officials to review the conduct of the officers who initially responded to the scene to determine if there was any mishandling of the case. CAIR, the largest Muslim civil liberties group in the United States, recently reported an annual increase in anti-Muslim and anti-Arab complaints, with 8,658 incidents recorded in 2023 — the highest since the group began tracking such data in 1996. The assault comes amid heightened concerns over the treatment of Muslim communities and pro-Palestinian activists across the US. In recent weeks, immigration authorities have detained multiple individuals with ties to campus protests. Among them is Mahmoud Khalil, a former graduate student at Columbia University, and Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University professor. Both are facing deportation proceedings over alleged affiliations with Hamas-linked rhetoric, according to officials. On Tuesday, Turkish national Rumeysa Ozturk, a PhD student at Tufts University, was also arrested by immigration authorities
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio Muslim leader tells noncitizen students not to protest amid crackdown, rising hate
An Ohio Muslim civil rights leader condemned the government's crackdown on anti-Israel protests, including at Ohio State University, as a new report raises concerns about a nationwide rise in anti-Muslim discrimination and attacks. "Mistreating the weakest, the littlest, the least has become almost a national sport and some people even take pride in targeting immigrants, targeting people of color," said Khalid Turaani, executive director of the Ohio office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. He said Americans must speak out against the use of tax dollars going to Israel to attack Gazans. However, in light of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arresting a Columbia University graduate student, Turaani warned noncitizen students in the U.S. not to participate in protests as it is not safe. Turaani made these comments at a press conference as the national Council on American-Islamic Relations released its annual report Tuesday saying they received more than 8,650 complaints in 2024, the highest number since the organization began publishing its annual civil rights report in 1996. Complaints rose more than 7%, breaking the previous record set in 2023. The number of incidents is likely an undercount as many do not report incidents to CAIR, Turaani said. Turaani said clashes with law enforcement in May 2024, at the height of pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, drove some of the nationwide increase in reports. CAIR called this year's report "Unconstitutional Crackdowns" because all levels of government in 2024 attacked first amendment rights by arresting and regulating anti-Israel protesters, Turaani said. This comes as President Donald Trump's administration sent letters this week to 60 universities nationwide telling them to address antisemitism on campus or risk losing federal funding. Letters were sent to Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati. Turaani said CAIR condemns antisemitism and all types of hate but supports students and others protesting the genocide in Gaza perpetrated by Israel. "We believe that all of us should separate hatred of Jews because they are Jews and legitimate criticism of a foreign state, that is the state of Israel, that is accused and there's so much evidence of it committing genocide and war crimes," Turaani said. USA TODAY reporter N'dea Yancey-Bragg contributed to this report. jlaird@ @LairdWrites This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: CAIR Ohio decries unconstitutional crackdown on anti-Israel protests
