After a campus group cancelled a screening of box office smash "American Sniper" because a student petition complained about the movie's depiction of Muslims, new University of Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh reacted by saying he plans to show the Academy Award-nominated movie to his team.
The Michigan Daily, the university's campus newspaper, reported that the Center for Campus Involvement said it was backing down from showing the Chris Kyle biopic because of a petition started by student Lamees Mekkaoui, who objected to the film.
"Student reactions have clearly articulated that this is neither the venue nor the time to show this movie," the center said in a statement, according to the Michigan Daily. "We deeply regret causing harm to members of our community and appreciate the thoughtful feedback provided to us by students."
The Clint Eastwood-directed film stars Bradley Cooper as Kyle, the late Navy Seal who served in Iraq and had the most confirmed kills as a sniper in U.S. military history.
Mekkaoui, a member of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality and the Middle Eastern and Arab Network on campus, told the campus newspaper and the
Detroit Free Press that she believed the movie showed Iraqis in a negative light.
"I felt uncomfortable (watching) it," said Mekkaoui. "As a student who identifies as an Arab and Middle Eastern student, I feel that 'American Sniper' condones a lot of anti-Middle Eastern and North African propaganda."
Harbaugh, a University of Michigan alum and its new football coach, posted on Twitter that he would show the film to his football team.
Harbaugh's Twitter post found plenty of support on social media.