An activist on behalf of refugee rights, Angelina Jolie, 41, has finally spoken out against President Donald Trump’s recent policies, including the controversial immigration and Muslim ban. In a New York Times op-ed, the former UN ambassador says that policy decisions “must be measured and should be based on facts, not fear.”
Jolie says she’s “proud of our country’s history of giving shelter to the most vulnerable people.” While she understands the need for secure borders, she claims that “the decision to suspend the resettlement of refugees to the United States and deny entry to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries has been met with shock by our friends around the world precisely because of this record.”
“The global refugee crisis and the threat from terrorism make it entirely justifiable that we consider how best to secure our borders. Every government must balance the needs of its citizens with its international responsibilities. But our response must be measured and should be based on facts, not fear,” she notes.
Jolie further claims that “as the mother of six children, who were all born in foreign lands and are proud American citizens, I very much want our country to be safe for them, and all our nation’s children. But I also want to know that refugee children who qualify for asylum will always have a chance to plead their case to a compassionate America.”
“And that we can manage our security without writing off citizens of entire countries – even babies – as unsafe to visit our country by virtue of geography or religion,” the “Maleficent” star continues, adding that “it is simply not true that our borders are overrun or that refugees are admitted to the United States without close scrutiny.”
Jolie claims POTUS’ policies could “fuel extremism abroad, and at home we undermine the ideal of diversity cherished by Democrats and Republicans.” She adds, “We must never allow our values to become the collateral damage of a search for greater security. Shutting our door to refugees or discriminating among them is not our way, and does not make us safer. Acting out of fear is not our way. Targeting the weakest does not show strength.”
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.