Columbus Islamic advocacy group launches educational resource

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Ohio chapter of a national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group has created a new resource portal to help educators promote inclusive learning.

Amina Barhumi, executive director of the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said inclusivity is the goal of the newly launched site that provides a range of information to help facilitate a classroom respectful of diverse faiths.

“The hope here is to better understand the landscape of Ohio and the richness of Ohio,” Barhumi said.

Accessible from CAIR-Ohio.com, the page highlights hundreds of books, podcasts and movies organized by age level. There is also a guide for educators on religious practices and holidays like Ramadan.

Barhumi said this just one way of working to combat islamophobia and uplift the Muslim community.

"These stories speak to the humanness of who we are they create a sense of dignity and respect not just that students can have among each other but that we can have altogether as a community," said Barhumi.

The platform also includes a space for educators to make suggestions of their own of literature or movies that they have found helpful in creating an inclusive space.