February, 09 2017, 03:15pm EDT
CAIR-MI Asks Anyone with Info on U of M Anti-Muslim Incident to Contact Police
The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) today asked anyone with information about a recent hate incident targeting Muslim students on the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor campus to contact law enforcement authorities.
Earlier this week, students discovered that someone urinated on a prayer rug Muslims use in the Shapiro Undergraduate Library reflection room. The university has several reflection rooms used by community members of all faiths for prayer or reflection.
FARMINGTON HILLS, MI
The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) today asked anyone with information about a recent hate incident targeting Muslim students on the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor campus to contact law enforcement authorities.
Earlier this week, students discovered that someone urinated on a prayer rug Muslims use in the Shapiro Undergraduate Library reflection room. The university has several reflection rooms used by community members of all faiths for prayer or reflection.
SEE:Muslim Students claim someone urinated on prayer rug at U of M (WXYZ)
UM PoliceSeek Person Who Urinated on Prayer Rug at Shapiro Library
The incident has been reported to the University of Michigan Campus Division of Public Safety and Security. The FBI is also currently probing the incident.
"Students on our university campuses should feel safe to express their faiths without fear of intimidation or harassment," said CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid. "We encourage anyone who has knowledge of this incident to immediately contact law enforcement authorities."
Walid also noted that anti-Semitic and anti-African-American emails speaking of ethnic extermination and "Heil Trump!" have been recently sent to students on campus.
CAIR's national headquarters in Washington, D.C., has noted an unprecedented spike in hate incidents targeting Muslims and other minority groups since the November 8 election.
A soon-to-be-published CAIR report on Islamophobia in America is expected to show that 2016 was the worst year on record for incidents in which mosques were targets of bias.
The Washington-based Muslim civil rights group is asking Muslim community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: https://www.cair.com/civil-rights/report-an-incident/view/form.html
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is a grassroots civil rights and advocacy group. CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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