'Stop Islam' written on University of Michigan campus

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WJBK) - It first turned up as a hashtag on Twitter, but then same phrase turned up on the campus of the University of Michigan. This time, written in chalk.

The phrase "#StopIslam" was written on the campus diag. A picture was posted Wednesday online and it quickly became a trending controversy.

University of Michigan freshman Hannah Ali said she was stunned to see the message and also noticed students wiping off the hashtag STOP and leaving Islam.

"I was in the Diag earlier and there were people pouring cups of water over it trying to get rid of it," she said. "There are as many people against it just as much as there's people for it."

There are at least three other hashtags in chalk at the Diag. Michigan sophomore Joshua says he believes it's the work of non-students.

"My theory is that the people were white nationalists," he said. "Probably connected to Nazi sites and they come to campus and what to rile things up."

Fatina Abdrabboh, the director of the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee, fielded the complaint from a U-M student.

"We are very concerned about the heightened climate of Islamophobia," said Fatina Abdrabboh. "And we will continue to monitor closely to ensure that this is a healthy and safe space for American Muslim students."

The Committee said it wants to see a dialogue with the university's administration.