Fact Check: Did Mel Gibson say 'removing Muslim culture from the US is not racism but survival'?
WASHINGTON, DC: An allegation circulating on social media platforms claims that Hollywood legend Mel Gibson has made a problematic remark against Muslim stating that removing Muslim culture from the United States is not racism but survival. The claim drew mixed reactions from fans and online users, requiring a fact-check.
Claim: Mel Gibson called for removal of 'Muslim culture'
According to a viral claim circulating on multiple social media platforms, the American actor and director said, “Removing all Muslim culture from the United States is not racism. It's survival.”
The claim has spread on X, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, collectively garnering millions of views.
Many comments under the post praised the Oscar-winning filmmaker and expressed support for him. A few others criticised the alleged remark, indicating many believe the claim is true.
Meanwhile, a few others questioned the claim’s authenticity and called for a fact-check to determine whether the actor really said it.
Fact Check: Mel Gibson made no such remark
However, there is no evidence that the ‘Braveheart’ actor made such a remark against Muslims; hence, the claim is rated as false.
There are no publicly available statements, official remarks, press releases, or recent interviews of the 70-year-old actor making the controversial anti-Muslim remark.
If Gibson had really commented, it would be covered widely by prominent news and entertainment media outlets, making headlines and sparking a nationwide debate on the topic.
A search on search engines like Google and Bing for the claim also yielded no credible reports, except for the social media posts that made the claim.
A fact check by Grok AI debunked the claim, stating, “The viral meme quoting Mel Gibson asking to remove Muslim culture from the United States is fabricated. The quote originated from multiple fake accounts that use his name and photo. No credible news outlets have reported on the claim.”
Conservative backlash targets Muslim politicians
The claim is part of conservative backlash against Muslim politicians in the country, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Michigan Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib.
Recently, New York Governor Kathy Hochul sparked a row by wearing a head covering during a visit to an Islamic center.
Following this, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social, stating that she "considered the Worst Governor in the Country," was "working hard to get the Arab Vote," and arguing that congestion pricing was hurting her politically, "especially [with] the people for whom she wears the hijab."
