MEDIA ADVISORY –

CAIR: Ohio Muslim Woman Pepper-Sprayed in Hate Attack
CAIR-Ohio to seek FBI hate crime probe of assault outside mosque

(COLUMBUS, OH, 12/20/10) –- On Tuesday, December 21, the Columbus chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will hold a news conference to urge the FBI to investigate an apparently bias-motivated attack earlier today on a Muslim woman outside a local mosque as a hate crime.

CAIR said the Muslim woman, who wears Islamic attire, was allegedly stalked, verbally harassed and then pepper-sprayed by a white man shouting religious and ethnic slurs such as, "Tell all of your Muslims that this is not your country," "Go back to wherever you came from," and threatening "I will kill you." The incident was recorded on the mosque's security camera. Columbus police are investigating the alleged assault.

WHAT: News Conference Calling on FBI to Probe Attack on Ohio Muslim as Hate Crime
WHEN: Tuesday, December 21, 1 p.m.
WHERE: CAIR's Columbus Office, 1505 Bethel Road, Columbus, OH, 43220
CONTACT: CAIR-Ohio Staff Attorney Romin Iqbal, 614-783-7953, E-Mail: riqbal@cair.com

Earlier today, CAIR's Michigan office announced that mosques, Islamic centers and Muslim organizations in that state have been receiving hate mailings.

SEE: Hate Mail to Mosques Under Investigation (Detroit News)

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its 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.

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CONTACT: CAIR-Ohio Staff Attorney Romin Iqbal, 614-783-7953, E-Mail: riqbal@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, or 202-488-8787, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

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