UMass Dartmouth community reacts to professors’ detainment

January 30, 2017 6:09 pm

By: Rebecca Turco

Email: rturco@abc6.com

DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Some Muslims at UMass Dartmouth are feeling targeted after two Muslim-Iranian professors there were detained at Logan Airport.

"I think it’s really upsetting more than anything," explained Amana Khatib, a freshman. She doesn’t know the engineering professors personally, but feels for them.

Mazdak Pourabdollah Tootkaboni and Arghavan Louhghalam were detained Saturday, following the president’s temporary ban on admitting refugees from seven countries with predominantly Muslim populations. The professors are both U.S. citizens with green cards. They were released when immigration lawyers and the federal court in Boston intervened.

"Even though I’m not a refugee and I’m not from any of those countries that [the president has] banned, I think it’s ridiculous that he’s blaming a whole entire religion or banning them from coming in," said Khatib.

President Trump says his executive order is an anti-terrorist safety measure, not a ban on Muslims. But it sure feels that way to Khatib. "I am an American citizen and I have the right to be here just like everybody else."

It’s a sentiment her friends echo. "I feel hurt for everyone who is being affected by this,” said freshman Giavanna Depina. “Even though I’m not Muslim, I can relate."

Meanwhile, one Trump supporter on campus tells us even though she doesn’t necessarily agree with everything the president has done so far, she hopes people give him the benefit of the doubt. "I’d like people to consider to at least give the new president a chance and see how this goes,” Lauren Cipolla, a freshman, said. “Because I was someone who didn’t support President Barack Obama but I dealt with eight years of his presidency and I took it in stride, so I hope people will do the same thing for him."

Officials at UMass Dartmouth have condemned the president’s actions, offering their support to international students and staff, saying in part: "Now that our colleagues are safe, we want to be clear that we believe the executive order does nothing to make our country safer and represents a shameful ignorance of and indifference to the values that have traditionally made America a beacon of liberty and hope."