Muslim organization fires leader for working with anti-Muslim group

COLUMBUS — The nation’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization has fired its central Ohio chapter leader for ethical and professional breaches that it says include a yearslong secret association with an anti-Muslim group.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations-Ohio said executive and legal director Romin Iqbal was terminated Tuesday.

CAIR said an independent forensic investigator determined he “spent years” recording meetings and passing inside information to the Investigative Project on Terrorism.

CAIR-Ohio said Iqbal admitted to secretly working for the group after being confronted with evidence of misconduct, which included delivery of a package containing parts for an assault rifle delivered to the group’s Columbus office.

Iqbal declined comment through his attorney, Dave Thomas.

IPT accused CAIR of being antisemitic and a threat to national security.