LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Pop star Madonna said yesterday she was being deliberately “ironic on stage” when she erroneously referred to President Barack Obama during her concert in the nation’s capital as a “black Muslim.”
A video clip posted on YouTube by audience members at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington captured the 54-year-old singer delivering a rousing, profanity-laced political speech about freedom during her show on Monday.
“Now, it’s so amazing and incredible to think that we have an African-American in the White House … we have a black Muslim in the White House … it means there is hope in this country, and Obama is fighting for gay rights, so support the man,” Madonna said.
Obama, campaigning to be re-elected on Nov 6, is widely known to be a practicing Christian.
Responding to a media furore unleashed by the YouTube video, Madonna issued a statement yesterday through her spokeswoman saying her reference to Obama’s religion was facetious.
“I was being ironic on stage. Yes, I know Obama is not a Muslim – though I know that plenty of people in this country think he is. And what if he were?
