The Toronto Blue Jays have addressed Anthony Santander's recent anti-Muslim social media posts in a new statement.
"We met with leaders in Toronto's Muslim communities today, who shared the harm caused by Anthony Santander's Islamophobic social media posts," Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro said in a statement on Thursday. "The opportunity to listen and learn was important and reaffirms our beliefs and values as an organization. We condemn Islamophobia and all forms of hate."
Santander, in the week of the U.S. midterm elections, shared a post with a thumbnail of Abdul El-Sayed, the senator-elect in Michigan, saying "America voted for Sharia last night" and another reading "Islam is not peaceful" via Instagram. The posts have since been deleted.
"The Blue Jays are deeply sorry to the Muslim community and our fans for the pain and harm these Islamophobic posts have caused. We will work with leaders in Muslim communities to fight all forms of hate," Shapiro said. "The Blue Jays will continue to ensure our organization reflects the inclusive community we are proud to call home."
General manager Ross Atkins previously spoke on the matter at MLB's annual GM meetings in Las Vegas, saying Tuesday that "There really aren't words to express my level of disappointment with (Santander) making those comments. I've expressed that to him.”
When asked if Santander would address the incident, Atkins added that "I told him I told him that I thought he needed to and that he should."
Santander has yet to publicly speak on the matter.
