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March 10, 2017, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Immigration, Islamophobia, and National Security

The Boathouse at Confluence Park

679 West Spring Street, Columbus, OH 43215

Speaker: Angie Plummer, Imran Malik

Signature Event 3-10-2017

Shortly after taking office, the Trump administration put into effect an executive order prohibiting the travel to the United States of citizens from seven designated countries, describing them as “detrimental to the interests of the United States.”  The move set off a firestorm of political, civic, and legal debate about the nature of the ban, its social and economic impact, and whether the order makes the country’s borders more or less safe. The documented increase in recent years of hate crimes, notably against Muslims in the United States, raises questions about the tensions – overt and hidden – that exist in our country around diversity, security, and nationalism.

The Columbus Council on World Affairs and the Columbus Metropolitan Club invite you to join a dialogue about some of the most pressing issues confronting our society today.  What is Islamophobia and what does its existence mean for our communities?  How can we reconcile the current debate over immigration policy against the backdrop of our country’s history as a nation of immigrants?  How do we balance the need to protect a country’s citizens from the threat of terrorism with the need to sustain an immigration program that keeps our economy healthy and that promotes values of diversity and openness?  What explains the surge of xenophobia in the United States at particular times in our history, e.g., post-9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the 2016 election campaign?

Angie Plummer

Executive Director

Community Refugee and Immigration Services

Angie Plummer is the Executive Director of Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS), a non-profit organization serving refugees and immigrants in Central Ohio. She has been with CRIS since 1998, and started as a volunteer lawyer. She became Executive Director of the agency in 2003. She is a 1989 graduate of the University of Dayton, where she majored in International Studies and minored in German, and is a 1992 graduate of the Ohio State University College of Law. She is admitted to practice law in Ohio and admitted by the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio. Prior to working for CRIS, Angie worked for the State of Ohio and in private practice. She lists as her professional accomplishments the participation in resettlement to Columbus, Ohio of more than 7,500 refugees and the successful resolution of many family reunification and asylum cases.

Imran Malik

President

NOOR Islamic Center

Imran Malik is the Executive President of the NOOR Islamic Center, which since 2006 has served the Muslim community of central Ohio and the community at large. Originally from Pakistan and raised in Bahrain, Mr. Malik is a graduate of Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, where he earned an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering. He also earned a Masters degree in Management and Leadership from Antioch University in Yellow Springs, Ohio. He is employed in the telecommunications industry and serves as a Compliance Officer for the Hilliard Business Alliance. In addition to his work at the NOOR Islamic Center, he is also a founding member of the Safe Alliance of Interfaith Leaders in Northwest Columbus, and is a member of both the Columbus Faith Coalition prayer team against Violence and the Interfaith Association of Central Ohio. Mr. Malik serves on the advisory board of the Hilliard YMCA.