Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie made her Instagram debut with a touching letter sent to her by teenage Afghan girl on Friday.
The 46-year-old actress made her first post on the fears of Afghan women since the takeover of Afghan Taliban last week. She gained more than 1.8 million followers within two hours of joining the platform. Jolie is the special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She said that she had received the letter from the teenage girl that details the fears of the women living in Afghanistan.
While sharing the letter, Angelina Jolie said, “This is a letter I was sent from a teenage girl in Afghanistan. Right now, the people of Afghanistan are losing their ability to communicate on social media and to express themselves freely. So I’ve come on Instagram to share their stories and the voices of those across the globe who are fighting for their basic human rights.”
Read more: Comprehending a bleak picture of Afghanistan
“I was on the border of Afghanistan two weeks before 9/11, where I met Afghan refugees who had fled the Taliban. This was twenty years ago. It is sickening to watch Afghans being displaced yet again out of the fear and uncertainty that has gripped their country.”
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“To spend so much time and money, to have blood shed and lives lost only to come to this, is a failure almost impossible to understand.”
“Watching for decades how Afghan refugees – some of the most capable people in the world – are treated like a burden is also sickening. Knowing that if they had the tools and respect, how much they would do for themselves. And meeting so many women and girls who not only wanted an education, but fought for it.”
Read more: Taliban pledge accountability, strive to present a moderate face
“Like others who are committed, I will not turn away. I will continue to look for ways to help. And I hope you’ll join me,” she said in the conclusion of her Instagram post.
The actress said she has joined Instagram to share the stories and voices of people across the world who are fighting for their basic human rights and are struggling to use social media to raise their voice.