‘Everybody wants to see an apology’: Criticism mounts for Blue Jay’s player over Islamophobic posts at Abdul El-Sayed
“And above all, I think everybody wants to see an apology from him.” Zhou also said that the posts were especially disappointing given the role that sports play in a city as diverse as Toronto.
Key points
- Santander’s Posts Santander shared the videos on Instagram after Democrat Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s U.S.
- “Generally I think the majority of our community wants to see a strengthened relationship basically, and education,” Zhou said, via The Canadian Press.
- “To see that juxtaposed and contrasted with this kind of thing, a narrative that Muslims identify with danger, with exclusion, and just that he may feel that way is just really unfortunate.” Zhou added that the group would like to meet with both Santander and the team’s ownership.
Additional details
- A spokesperson for the National Council of Canadian Muslims said that the posts were “very disconcerting,” but that the group sees “a real opportunity” to turn the situation into something positive.
- “Athletes and sports teams are supposed to be a symbol of unity, in a place like Toronto especially, where people of all different backgrounds come together to see ball games,” Zhou said.
- Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander has faced plenty of backlash after sharing anti-Muslim videos on social media in the aftermath of last week’s midterm elections.
- “Baseball is for everyone, and the Blue Jays have created an inclusive experience where all fans feel welcome at our ballpark,” the team said.
- Santander, who signed a five-year, $92.5 million deal with Toronto in January 2025, has stayed quiet, and his representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Canadian Press.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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