Miss Puerto Rico Destiny Velez suspended after anti-Muslim rant
Destiny Velez, Miss Puerto Rico, has been suspended indefinitely from the Miss America competition after she fired off anti-Muslim comments directed at the "We Are All Muslim" movement.
Destiny Velez, Miss Puerto Rico, has been suspended indefinitely from the Miss America competition after she fired off anti-Muslim comments directed at the “We Are All Muslim” movement.
The 20-year-old beauty queen made the comments in response to Michael Moore, who stood outside of Trump Tower holding a sign that read “We Are All Muslim” and criticized Donald Trump, saying that “we are not a country of angry white guys,” reports NY Daily News.
Velez tweeted her frustration at Moore, saying things like “Muslims use our constitution to terrorize USA & plant gas stations,” and Muslims “terrorize this country & many others.”
Join me. Please make your own sign WE ARE ALL MUSLIM and post it on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook w/ #WeAreAllMuslim pic.twitter.com/dfMBrAyywK
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) December 18, 2015
After Velez’s comments, the Miss Puerto Rico Organization issued a statement describing her tweets as a poor representation of “the integrity and esteem of our program.”
The Miss Puerto Rico Organization apologizes for the distress that Miss Velez’s actions and conduct may have caused. https://t.co/I4SpQwozeD
— Puerto Rico Pageants (@MissPROrgFans) December 20, 2015
“Miss Velez’s actions were in contradiction to the organization, and therefore as a consequence of her actions, she has been suspended indefinitely,” the statement read. “The Miss Puerto Rico Organization will not tolerate any actions or behavior contrary to the Miss Puerto Rico Organization.”
After the statement from the Miss Puerto Rico Organization was released, Velez replied with one of her own.
“I stand up against bullying,” she said. “The last thing I wanted to do was to bully anyone. I apologize to anyone who felt offended with my words.”
