Iranian film director nominated for Oscar ‘won’t be able to attend ceremony’ after Donald Trump issues ‘Muslim ban’
Community leader claims filmmaker Asghar Farhadi won’t be able to enter the country after White House implements 90-day freeze on entry from Muslim nations
A FILM DIRECTOR nominated for an Oscar won’t be able to attend the ceremony in February because of President Trump’s ban on Muslims from certain countries entering the US, it has been claimed.
Iranian movie director Asghar Farhadi, 45, made The Salesman last year which is up for best foreign language film at the Academy Awards – a gong he previously won in 2012.
However, the president of the US’ largest Iranian-American grassroots organization has claimed the decorated director won’t be able to get into the country because of a new ban issued by the White House.
, from the National Iranian American Council, took to Twitter to say: “Confirmed: Iran's Asghar Farhadi won't be let into the US to attend Oscars. He's nominated for best foreign language film.”
Yesterday, Donald Trump issued a new executive order denying people from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia entry to the USA for 90 days.
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He said the move, which he had talked about throughout his campaign, was to allow for “extreme vetting” and to “keep terrorists out”.
Visiting the State Department on Friday, he said: “We are establishing new vetting measures, to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America.”
He added: “We don’t want ‘em here. We want to ensure we aren’t admitting into our country the very threats that our men and women are fighting overseas.”
Farhadi’s film A Separation was the first Iranian movie to ever win the Oscars’ best foreign language film category with an emotional Farhadi accepting the award in person from Sandra Bullock at the ceremony in 2012.
He said: “At this time, many Iranians all over the world are watching us and I imagine them to be very happy.
“At the time when talk of war, intimidation, and aggression is exchanged between politicians, the name of their country, Iran, is spoken here through her glorious culture, a rich and ancient culture that has been hidden under the heavy dust of politics.”
He added: “I proudly offer this award to the people of my country, the people who respect all cultures and civilisations and despise hostility and resentment.”
In a statement issued after Trump announced his ban, Parsi’s organisation said: “This is a dark day for our country. This action endangers the lives of Americans and will make us far less safe.
“It will divert resources away from fighting terrorism in order to crack down on our loved ones. It will feed xenophobia and turn Americans against one another.
“And it is a gift to groups like ISIS who will use this as a recruitment tool and who must be ecstatic to see America tearing itself apart from within.
“Not a single person has been killed in the U.S. by a terrorist attack committed by individuals from the countries subjected to Trump’s ban.”
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