Angelina Jolie makes an Instagram debut. According to her first post the Oscar-winning actor shares a letter of an afghan girl and says “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.”
The US actress topped the charts as her account gathered a million followers in the shortest time. At the moment the star has 7.5 million followers and is following only three accounts: NAACP, doctors without borders, and refugees. Her biography on the site includes her being a mother, filmmaker, and a Special Envoy for the UN. She has explained her reason for joining to shed light on those who are oppressed around the world and have yet to attain fundamental human rights.
The letter from a teenage Afghani girl highlights the fears of the young individual for the rights of the women under Taliban rule. She starts the letter with “Fear from Taliban” and writes “We all had rights, we [were] able to defend our rights freely, but when they came, we are all afraid of them, and we think all our dreams are gone,”
The letter also emphasized the girl’s distrust towards the change in the Taliban’s actions and motives. She expressed concern over the continuation of women’s jobs and her education. The letter says “Some people say the Taliban’s changed, but I do not think so because they have a very bad past,”
Jolie in her caption reflects on the failure to bring peace in Afghanistan and condemns that refugees are “treated like a burden” by the governments around the world. She wrote “It is sickening to watch Afghans being displaced yet again out of the fear and uncertainty that has gripped their country. To spend so much time and money, to have bloodshed and lives lost only to come to this, is a failure almost impossible to understand,”
“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.”
The actor concludes with a promise and an invitation, “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.”
