News / Society

Scottish university revokes honorary degree awarded to Trump

Thursday, 10 December 2015 1:50 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 10 December 2015 8:02 PM ]

Donald Trump is pictured as he receives an honorary award of Doctor of Business Administration at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland, on October 8, 2010. (AFP)

A Scottish university has stripped US presidential candidate Donald Trump of an honorary degree amid outcry over his remarks that Muslims should be barred entry to the US.

“Trump has made a number of statements that are wholly incompatible with the ethos and values of the university. The university has therefore decided to revoke its award of the honorary degree," said a spokesperson for Robert Gordon University Aberdeen, Scotland on Wednesday.

Trump, who claims Scottish heritage, was awarded the honorary doctorate of business degree by the university in 2010.

On Monday, the Islamophobic billionaire called for the "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States” in the wake of a shooting incident in San Bernardino, California, that left 14 people dead. Following his remarks, around 17,000 people signed a petition demanding that the university revoke the degree.

Scottish First Minster Nicola Sturgeon also dropped the US Republican party’s front runner as a business ambassador for Scotland. In 2006, the country’s then first minster, Jack McConnell, had appointed him as a GlobalScot ambassador.

Trump’s "recent remarks have shown he is no longer fit to be a business ambassador for Scotland,” said Sturgeon.

Many American and foreign authorities have denounced Trump’s comments, with the White House even saying the Islamophobic stance “disqualifies” him from running for the 2016 presidential election in the US.

Although he has been under fire, the billionaire developer and former reality TV star defended his proposal subsequently, saying, “I don’t care.”

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