The Huffington Post tweeted out a screenshot of their mistake, along with the statement, “We apologize for the original image here. Zayn Malik is mentioned in the story, but is obviously not part of ISIS.”
— Huffington Post (@HuffingtonPost) November 20, 2015
Malik is in fact mentioned in the article, making the unfortunate tweet somewhat more understandable. It is about “the gray zone of coexistence,” and cites the teen heartthrob as an example of a famous Muslim who has rejected radical extremism.
“The refugees fleeing Syria make it more than crystal clear that the Islamic State is not creating any kind of haven for Islam. But if you want a more relatable face of the "gray zone of coexistence" — a success story you've definitely heard of — consider international pop-sensation and former One Direction singer Zayn Malik.” Jason Linkins wrote in the article.
Last week, Malik was also slammed on Twitter when an insane rumor circulated that he was one of the gunmen in the Paris attacks, because the internet is insane.
On Wednesday a sneak peek was released of Malik’s first interview since leaving One Direction.
“I’m just a normal person as well as following my religion, and doing all the normal things that everybody else does. I love music and I get tattoos and I make mistakes, and I’ve had to go through relationships and break up relationships. I feel proud that people actually look to me and can see themselves in that,” he stated.