The University of Michigan-Dearborn on Tuesday published a letter its chancellor sent students and faculty in December that denounced Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s “virulent strand of anti-Muslim bigotry.”
University officials posted the Dec. 9 letter on its website after an undated copy was circulated on social media, which the university said had “distorted” Chancellor Daniel Little’s message to students and employees.
“The letter does not advocate for or against a specific presidential candidate. The letter was written in response to growing bigotry against Muslim Americans,” UM Dearborn wrote in a Tuesday statement on its website.
Little wrote the letter a day after Trump proposed a temporary ban on Muslims immigrating into the United States in the wake of a deadly mass shooting in San Bernardino, California by two suspects who sympathized with the Islamic State terror group.
“This week I know many of us were shocked at the offensive words and proposals that presidential candidate Donald trump advanced in dealing with the threat of terrorism in America,” Little wrote. “His comments serve as a reminder to all of us that there is a virulent strand of anti-Muslim bigotry in the United States. World leaders, Republican and Democratic presidential candidates and many Americans across the country denounced Mr. Trump’s remarks and proposed actions.”
UM Dearborn is located in one the most heavily populated cities of individuals of Arab descent in the country. About 26 percent of the 9,300-student university are students of color.
Little did not comment further on Trump’s candidacy in the letter and instead wrote about the university’s efforts “to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for faculty, staff and students.”
“I encourage all of you who care about equality, inclusiveness and mutaul respect to stand up against hate and fear and to find ways of counteracting negative and hurtful words and actions against the Muslim community and all communities on our campus, in our neighborhoods and throughout the country and world,” Little wrote.