Michigan official refuses to apologize for Islamophobic call

Rasa - A US official in the state of Michigan has refused to apologize for his Islamophobic social media posts that sparked outrage among the American Muslim community.

News ID: 431000

Date: 14 July 2017 - 23:35

RNA - Jeff Sieting, the president of a village in northern Michigan, has recently posted anti-Muslim rants on his Facebook page.

"Dangerously destructive to society" that’s how Sieting posted about Muslims while comparing Islam to a "flesh-eating bacteria" and a “death cult."

According to Michigan Live, Sieting’s previous posts have suggested “thin[ning] the herd” of the Black Lives Matter Movement,

The posts were discovered by area native Cindy Anderson, who along with others unsuccessfully sought an apology last month at two town meetings.

He declined to apologize for his posts at a recent village meeting, saying, “I owe nobody an apology for exercising my First Amendment rights,” adding later, “I don’t expect everyone to see things the way I do.”

Last month, residents staged a demonstration in downtown Kalkaska to protest the “disturbing, hateful and Islamophobic rants” of the village President and demanded his resignation.

Sieting has also come under fire for a sign on his hotel, Hotel Sieting that asks citizens to pray for Trump. That dispute began before Sieting's Facebook posts were discovered.

Reports of hate crimes and racially motivated violence against minorities have increased in the United States after the election of Donald Trump as the US president.

Trump’s supporters have been accused of numerous attacks following his election victory last week, including racist graffiti, death threats and physical assaults.

Trump has also been criticized during his presidential campaign for his inflammatory language against Muslims, immigrants, women and other groups.

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