COLUMBUS – City officials in Ohio’s capital have passed a resolution condemning Islamophobia and declaring support for the area’s Islamic community amid recent reports of housing discrimination and harassment in the state.
The Columbus Dispatch reports City Councilman Michael Stinziano says Monday’s resolution was necessary to recognize Columbus as a diverse community and to fight anti-Muslim bigotry.
The resolution comes amid a pending employment discrimination complaint that alleges city officials refused to let women police officers wear head scarves.
Stinziano introduced the resolution. He says it also aims to promote laws and policies that value diversity. He says the idea came from Jewish Voice for Peace of Central Ohio.
The group challenged attendees to learn more from each other to further understanding.
According to Jewish Voice for Peace, a research group at Georgetown University has calculated that an attack on a Muslim occurred on average every 48 hours in the U.S. in 2015, and that the rate of attacks is four times higher in 2016.