The Hill: Chicago Cubs to partner with Muslim groups amid backlash to owner's Islamophobic emails
The Chicago Cubs will partner with local Muslim groups to combat Islamophobia and bigotry amid widespread backlash to racist emails sent by one of the team’s owners.
The Cubs and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a joint statement late Monday that the two sides recently held a “productive meeting,” and developed concrete steps for the team to take moving forward.
Those steps include taking part in anti-bullying and anti-hate efforts, and including prominent Muslims in team traditions.
"We have a tremendous opportunity to further our commitment to diversity and inclusion by joining the Chicago Muslim community in its efforts to eradicate bigotry and Islamophobia," Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement.
The organizations said they discussed the history of Muslims in America, and members of CAIR "raised doubt about the family and organization’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion" after reading emails from Joe Ricketts, the patriarch of the family that owns the team.