A National Council of Canadian Muslims spokesperson said he left an initial meeting with Toronto Blue Jays leadership feeling hopeful after the club’s response to Anthony Santander’s anti-Muslim posts.
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A National Council of Canadian Muslims spokesman said he was feeling hopeful after an initial meeting with Toronto Blue Jays officials this week following the controversy involving outfielder Anthony Santander.
Steven Zhou, the NCCM’s media and communications lead, said the meeting with Blue Jays brass was an important step in trying to turn a negative into a positive. "I feel more strongly about that now," Zhou said. "Now that we've had a first meeting, we've gotten on the same page about why this kind of narrative is not just annoying and upsetting. It poses real dangers in a place like Canada."
Zhou spoke after the posts at the centre of the dispute and the club’s subsequent apology. Santander shared anti-Muslim posts on Nov. 4 in the aftermath of the U.S. midterm elections and deleted them the next morning. Santander later apologized on Friday afternoon, saying the content caused hurt and fell short of his own convictions.
In his apology, Santander said reflection and conversations with people he trusts helped him recognize he should have been more thoughtful about what he shared, and the responsibility that comes with having a public voice. He also said he respects the Muslim community and pledged to avoid sharing content that promotes hate.
Blue Jays president and chief executive officer Mark Shapiro apologized to the Muslim community and fans following the meeting with community leaders, and general manager Ross Atkins said earlier in the week he had asked Santander to publicly address the controversy.
The posts included a video of a Christian preacher disparaging Muslims and another suggesting Sharia law would be imposed on the United States after Abdul El-Sayed’s election to the Senate in Michigan.
Zhou said there is "no need" to perpetuate those narratives, particularly for a public figure. "There's just no need for that. And if that does happen, then it's our job to follow up, to denounce it, to call for denunciations and to work from there."
Questions remain about whether there will be additional discipline. It was not clear why Santander, a 32-year-old Venezuelan who signed a US$92.5-million, five-year contract with Toronto in January 2025, waited over a week to apologize, and messages left in recent days with him and the sports management agency that represents him were not returned. The team has also not publicly announced any discipline over the posts.
Santander missed the entire 2026 season because of injuries. In 2024 with the Baltimore Orioles, he hit 44 home runs, and in 2025 with Toronto he hit .175 with six homers over 54 games in an injury-plagued season. He is expected to be healthy for the 2027 season and become an everyday player again.
Morgan McLellan, a managing partner at Sovereign, said the club’s apology and condemnation were a good start but that the clarity should have come immediately, describing the response as reactive rather than a clear commitment to values. McLellan added that without publicly announced discipline, fans were left with unanswered questions about accountability.
Zhou said the NCCM sees the meeting as a positive development and expects additional engagement. "There's only more opportunities going forward and we'll be actively seeking those out," he said. "And I think there's good reason to think that there will be a positive engagement and response on that."
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