Miss Puerto Rico, Destiny Vélez, was suspended indefinitely from the Miss America competition on Friday for a series of tweets deemed anti-Muslim.
The beauty pageant contestant had issued a series of critical tweets to Michael Moore in response to the liberal documentary filmmaker’s “We Are All Muslim” campaign last week.
“Islamic god is NOT the same God of the Christians & the Jews,” the 20-year-old wrote in one of several tweets directed to Moore, in screenshots collected by the New York Daily News.
“[T]here’s no comparison between Jews, Christians & Muslims. Jews nor Christians have terrorizing agendas in their sacred books,” Vélez wrote in another tweet. Another read: “[A]ll what Muslims have done is provided oil & terrorize this country & many others.”
The Miss Puerto Rico Organization quickly issued a statement suspending the stunner from competition indefinitely.
“In regards to Miss Puerto Rico, Destiny Velez’s, recent actions and conduct; the Miss Puerto Rico Organization feels that her words do not represent the integrity and esteem of our program, nor that of our board members, our sponsors and partners, or the National Organization,” the group said in a statement on its Facebook page.
“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 continued. “The Miss Puerto Rico Organization will not tolerate any actions or behavior contrary to the Miss Puerto Rico Organization.”
Vélez issued an apology shortly after her the group’s decision, which was also included in the organization’s Facebook post:
“I apologize to the people I have offended with my words,” she said. “I am first and foremost an #UpStander and as such I stand up against bullying. The last thing I wanted to do was to bully anyone. Again, I apologize to anyone who felt offended with my words.”
Moore penned an open letter to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump last week after standing outside Trump Tower with a sign that read “We Are All Muslim.” The filmmaker has been a vocal critic of Trump and has attempted to get the candidate banned from social media.