Will Smith has a lot to be happy about, with a No. 1 movie and all, but
the Suicide Squad star is making it clear he's less than thrilled with
comments made by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
While promoting his latest film, Smith made a stop in Dubai, where he addressed Trump's stance that Muslim immigrants should be temporarily banned from entering U.S. "As painful as it is to hear Donald Trump talk and as embarrassing as it is as an American to hear him talk, I think it's good," said Smith. "We get to know who people are and now we get to cleanse it out of our country."
Smith added the growing amount of Islamophobia in America is why he believes it's important to make stops in places like Dubai. "The Middle East can't allow Fox News to be the arbiter of the imagery," he said. "So cinema is a huge way to be able to deliver the truth of the soul of a place to a global audience."
Smith, who portrayed legendary boxer Muhammad Ali in the 2001 film Ali, is the latest high-profile celebrity to criticize Trump for his anti-Muslim stance. Last month, while speaking at the Democratic National Convention, NBA legend and Islam convert Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spoke out against the businessman-turned-politician's statements on Muslims.
"At its core, discrimination is the result of fear," he said. "Those who think Americans scare easily -- enough to abandon our country's ideals in exchange for a false sense of security -- underestimate our resolve. To them we say only this: Not here, not ever."
In December of last year, Trump called for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on," following terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.
"Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine," Trump said. "Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life. If I win the election for President, we are going to Make America Great Again." The statement on Muslim immigration remains on Trump's website.
While promoting his latest film, Smith made a stop in Dubai, where he addressed Trump's stance that Muslim immigrants should be temporarily banned from entering U.S. "As painful as it is to hear Donald Trump talk and as embarrassing as it is as an American to hear him talk, I think it's good," said Smith. "We get to know who people are and now we get to cleanse it out of our country."
Smith added the growing amount of Islamophobia in America is why he believes it's important to make stops in places like Dubai. "The Middle East can't allow Fox News to be the arbiter of the imagery," he said. "So cinema is a huge way to be able to deliver the truth of the soul of a place to a global audience."
Smith, who portrayed legendary boxer Muhammad Ali in the 2001 film Ali, is the latest high-profile celebrity to criticize Trump for his anti-Muslim stance. Last month, while speaking at the Democratic National Convention, NBA legend and Islam convert Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spoke out against the businessman-turned-politician's statements on Muslims.
"At its core, discrimination is the result of fear," he said. "Those who think Americans scare easily -- enough to abandon our country's ideals in exchange for a false sense of security -- underestimate our resolve. To them we say only this: Not here, not ever."
In December of last year, Trump called for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on," following terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.
"Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine," Trump said. "Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life. If I win the election for President, we are going to Make America Great Again." The statement on Muslim immigration remains on Trump's website.
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