(ATLANTA, GA, 4/10/2019) -- The Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Georgia) today encouraged anyone with information about the alleged desecration of a ritual washing area used by Muslim students at Emory University to contact the school's police department.

According to an email the school sent to some members of the Emory community on April 5th, an unidentified individual urinated in a washing station used by primarily by Muslim students to perform “wudu” (a ritual washing) before prayer in the Claudia Nance Rollins Building.

SEE: Muslim Ritual Purification Room Desecrated

A female Muslim student who entered the washing area on April 4th reported that she noticed the smell of urine in the area, and then saw urine in both the washing area and on the floor. She reported the desecration to the school, which cleaned the area, and sent an email expressing support for Emory's Muslim student population.

The apparent act of anti-Muslim desecration occurred during a week in which heated disputes arose on campus between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine student activists, all of which was made worse by false allegations of anti-Semitism leveled against a Palestinian student group by outside organizations and rightwing media outlets.

SEE: Emory Student Newspaper Editorial Board's Response To Israel-Palestine Controversy

In a statement, CAIR-Georgia Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said: 

"We welcome Emory University's pledge to investigate this incident, and we strongly encourage the school's police department to file criminal charges if they determine that the person responsible was motivated by bigotry.

(WASHINGTON, DC - 4/2/2018) On April 1st, the Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations joined the fourth annual National Muslim Hill Day in Washington, DC. During the two-day event, over 500 American Muslims from across the country gathered in Washington to lobby their congressional representatives about various topics.

This year's Georgia delegation to the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations also included representatives of ICNA Relief Atlanta and the Muslim American Society.

Together, Georgia Muslims advocated for bills or resolutions that would protect DACA recipients, overturn President Trump's Muslim Ban, celebrate American Muslim history, sanction Chinese officials for imprisoning Uighur Muslims in concentration camps, among other pieces of legislation.

(ALPHARETTA, GA - 3/28/19) The Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations today announced that it held a "positive and productive" meeting with the leadership of Autry Mill Middle School in order to resolve controversy over an exhibit on Palestinian history that students displayed at the school's annual Multicultural Night both this year and last year.

SEE: Leaders Share Lessons After Autrey Mill Map Incident

During the meeting, officials confirmed that the students who arranged the exhibit will be protected from racist and Islamophobic bullying, among other reassurances.