Malala heartbroken over Trump’s action on refugees, immigrants

ISLAMABAD: Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani education activist and the youngest recipient of Nobel Peace Prize, has said she was heartbroken by President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for new vetting measures for immigrants and refugees entering the United States.

“I am heartbroken that today President Trump is closing the door on children, mothers and fathers fleeing violence and war,” Malala was quoted as saying by CNN. “I am heartbroken that America is turning its back on a proud history of welcoming refugees and immigrants, the people who helped build your country, ready to work hard in exchange for a fair chance at a new life,” she said.

Malala issued the statement at about the same time that Trump announced his latest executive orders including one that reportedly will suspend the US refugee programme for 120 days. The order also bars all persons from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia or Yemen from entering the United States for 30 days.

The young Pakistani activist, who now lives in Britain, has been campaigning for education rights across the globe and won the Nobel Prize in 2014.  “I am heartbroken that Syrian refugee children who have suffered through six years of war by no fault of their own are singled out for discrimination,” she said.  “I am heartbroken for girls like my friend Zaynab who fled wars in three countries - Somalia Yemen and Egypt - before she was even 17,”   she said.