Follow-up: Santander Apologizes for Anti-Muslim Posts: Says He Should Have Been More Thoughtful, Affirms Respect for Muslim Community
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander issued an apology on his Instagram account on Friday, November 13, for the anti-Muslim messages he shared earlier this month, according to The Canadian Press. It was Santander's first public comment since the posts; the Blue Jays had apologized on behalf of the organization the day before.
"After taking time to reflect on my recent social posts and speaking with people I trust and respect, I recognize that I should have been more thoughtful about what I shared on my platform," Santander wrote in his statement. "I realize that this content caused hurt and I sincerely apologize."
"I would like to affirm my respect for the Muslim community and for the dignity and freedom of people of every faith and background," he continued. "From this experience, I have learned to ensure that none of my communications promote hate or give the impression that I support hatred, discrimination, or violence against anyone."
During the week of the U.S. midterm elections, on November 4, Santander shared two posts via Instagram: one with a thumbnail of Michigan senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed saying "America voted for Sharia last night," and another reading "Islam is not peaceful." The posts have since been deleted. El-Sayed won his race on November 3, becoming the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate.
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said in Las Vegas earlier this week that anything exacerbating some level of hate, anti-Islamic, is "extremely concerning and extremely disappointing," and he had earlier pressed Santander to respond publicly. Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro released a statement on Thursday apologizing on behalf of the organization and pledging to work with leaders in Muslim communities to fight all forms of hate. Steven Zhou of the National Council of Canadian Muslims said after the team's apology that the next step the community hoped to see was an apology from the player himself explaining why he was wrong.
Santander, 32, of Venezuela, signed a five-year, $92.5 million contract with the Blue Jays in January 2025; according to The Canadian Press, multiple shoulder injuries have limited him to just 54 regular-season games in the two years since. As of publication, the Blue Jays had not announced whether Santander would face any discipline.
Source: The Canadian Press
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 安东尼·桑坦德本人资料图（2018年4月29日摄于巴尔的摩金莺队时期，Keith Allison摄，CC BY-SA 2.0，经Wikimedia Commons，已裁为1600×900，彩色）/ File photo: Anthony Santander with the Baltimore Orioles on April 29, 2018 (photo by Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons), cropped to 1600x900.
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- 2026-11-14Follow-up: Santander Apologizes for Anti-Muslim Posts: Says He Should Have Been More Thoughtful, Affirms Respect for Muslim CommunityThis story
