Muslim advocacy group releases new evidence in firing of Ohio director

COLUMBUS (WXIX) – Leaders with the national Council on American-Islamic Relations, a nationwide Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, released new evidence Thursday showing why they fired the director of their Ohio chapter.

CAIR-Ohio announced earlier this week they terminated Romin Iqbal, 45, for allegedly leaking information to an anti-Muslim hate group.

Iqbal, 45, led the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Columbus and Cincinnati offices (CAIR-Ohio) for three years and worked there for 15 years.

An independent investigation determined Romin Iqbal recorded CAIR network meetings for several years and passed information about their national advocacy work for years to a known anti-Muslim hate group, CAIR officials said in a news release.

“After being confronted with clear evidence of misconduct, Iqbal admitted that he had been secretly working with the anti-Muslim hate group,” the release. “This betrayal and violation of trust was planned and purposeful, taking place over a period of years.”

CAIR-Ohio has identified the hate group as Investigative Project on Terrorism, which was founded by Steven Emerson. The group describes itself as a non-profit research group that investigates “radical Islamic terrorist groups.” Its website criticizes CAIR.

Emerson “is known for spreading hate, vitriol and anti-Muslim rhetoric,” said CAIR-Ohio spokeswoman Whitney Siddiqi, calling this “a complete act of betrayal.”

In the wake of Iqbal’s termination, the Columbus office of CAIR-Ohio discovered suspicious purchases from ammunition and gun retailers conducted in recent weeks using a CAIR-Ohio credit card administered by Iqbal.

On Monday, CAIR-Ohio staff also found a suspicious package mailed to the CAIR-Ohio Columbus office containing parts for an AR-15 rifle.

CAIR-Ohio reported it to law enforcement, which is currently investigating the matter, their news release says.

Siddiqi identified those agencies Wednesday as the Hilliard Police Department and the FBI.

She said CAIR OHIO also is considering taking legal action against Iqbal.

Dave Thomas Law Offices in Cincinnati is representing Iqbal.

They declined comment.

FOX19 NOW reached out to Hilliard police and the FBI for comment.

“As a matter of policy, we cannot confirm or deny the existence of a potential investigation,” wrote Todd Lindgren, FBI spokesman, in an email to FOX19 NOW.

A spokeswoman for Hilliard police said they can’t comment because “we’re having active, ongoing discussions with CAIR and the FBI on this matter, so we can’t be speaking on it quite yet. Once we have more information to share we’ll be sure to reach out.”

A Hilliard police report shows CAIR-Ohio turned over a list of 22 purchases totaling close to $4,000 from gun-related websites they say their former director made in just over a week, from Dec. 1 to Dec. 9.

Since the purchases were made while he was suspended and just before they fired him, CAIR-Ohio assumes he had prior knowledge they were going to fire him for his involvement with anti-Muslim groups, the police report states.

Acting director of CAIR-Ohio Amina Barhumi told Hilliard police Iqbal is smart, a “pillar” of the Muslim community but also “very manipulative,” according to the report.

Hilliard police told CAIR-Ohio they would put on an extra patrol.

Police also told them to alert police if they hear from Iqbal or if he is seen on their property.

CAIR-Ohio told police they changed the locks to the business on Monday, the police report states.

On Wednesday, national CAIR officials said no one is working in that office now.

In a letter to the Ohio Muslim community, CAIR-Ohio encouraged mosques and community centers to exercise vigilance and review their security protocols out of an abundance of caution.

CAIR-Ohio’s local assets, operations, and infrastructure are safe and secure, the news release from the group says.

“We recognize the difficulty of receiving this information and the unease it brings. We all feel betrayed by a once-trusted leader and advocate whom we relied upon. However, our mission to protect the civil rights of Ohio Muslims transcends any one individual. We want to assure the community that CAIR-Ohio’s local assets, operations, and infrastructure are safe and secure.”

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