Opponents of the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque” have launched a boycott of Justin Bieber because of pro-mosque comments in the 16-year-old pop star apparently never made.
Andy Sullivan, a construction worker and outspoken critic of the mosque, says he organized the boycott because of Bieber’s supposed pro-mosque remarks in an issue of Tiger Beat magazine. Sullivan added that his children would no longer be attending any of the Canadian singer’s concerts.
“Are my two kids going to derail the Bieber machine?” asked Sullivan in an interview with New York’s WNYC earlier this month. “I don’t think so. But it hurts. He said something that clearly hurt my kids, and hurt me. So, if you’re gonna say statements that hurt, be prepared. There’s gonna be fallout.”
“My little girl took down his poster and said she didn’t want to have nothing to do with him anymore,” Sullivan said in another interview with Salon. “These are my kids. They’re living this thing.”
Salon couldn’t find the Tiger Beat story on Bieber that Sullivan claims started the uproar, but did find this post on CelebJihad.com:
In an interview with Tiger Beat, the pop sensation stressed that freedom of religion is what makes America great, and went on to say that those who oppose the mosque are motivated by bigotry.
“Muslims should be allowed to build a mosque anywhere they want,” the singer said. “Coming from Canada, I’m not used to this level of intolerance, eh.”
Bieber went on to say that Muslims are “super cool,” Christians are “lame-o-rama,” and that the mosque will help “start a dialogue” with all religions about which Justin Bieber song is the most awesome.
“I was like seven when September 11th went down, and frankly I’m surprised people are still going on about it. Move on, already!”
CelebJihad.com calls itself a “satirical website” and says the whole thing is a hoax. Administrators on the boycott’s Facebook page admitted Thursday afternoon that they are now awaiting conformation from Tiger Beat on whether or not Bieber’s pro-Mosque interview actually took place, but denied the information came from CelebJihad.
Sullivan has also organized boycotts of John Cusack, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Stephen Colbert for their support of the mosque.