President Donald Trump signed a controversial — and temporarily-halted — executive order last week that bans Syrian refugees and temporarily bans immigrants from seven majority-Muslim nations from entering the U.S. Many celebrities have voiced their opposition to the ban, including Rihanna, who spoke out against the Muslim Ban on Twitter. It's so great to see that a pop star of her stature with such a wide fan base making her voice known. In the middle of tweets celebrating the first anniversary of her album ANTI, Rihanna voiced her views against the Muslim ban in a bold, but much-needed tweet.
"Disgusted!" she wrote on Twitter. "The news is devastating! America is being ruined right before our eyes! What an immoral pig you have to be to implement such BS!!" That latter remark seems to be aimed at Trump, who signed the executive order, for which a federal court issued a temporary stay on Saturday night. The whole tweet is a bold statement coming from such a popular celebrity like Rihanna, who has consistently ruled the Billboard charts with hit songs since 2005. But it's also not too surprising, because Rihanna herself is an immigrant — she was born in Barbados, and she moved to the United States to pursue music at age 16. ”When I left Barbados, I didn’t look back,” she told the publication in 2007. ”I wanted to do what I had to do [to succeed], even if it meant moving to America.”
Rihanna's popular tweet also received a negative reaction from Azealia Banks, according to VH1, but that didn't cause her to back down at all — Rihanna allegedly responded in an Instagram post. It's also not the first time the musician has voiced her political opinions. Earlier this month, Rihanna also participated in a Women's March and posted several photos of her experience to her Instagram account. Her song "American Oxygen," released in 2015, has a music video and lyrics about how immigration, protests, and diversity are all part of the American dream.
Making such a bold statement is brave in a time where the country is so politically divided and Rihanna could potentially alienate any fans of hers who align with Trump and his actions. Sure, losing fans shouldn't be the primary concern for any celebrity when it comes to expressing their views and what they believe is right, but many have speculated that Taylor Swift, for instance, has stayed politically neutral for that reason. Swift did not endorse a candidate in the 2016 election and she did not seem to participate in a Women's March earlier this month, which has disappointed many fans. She did tweet her support for the Women's March and posted an Election Day message telling fans to vote on Instagram, but some have deemed those actions not enough.
Rihanna's statement against the Muslim Ban, meanwhile, has her joining her longtime friend, fellow politically-active pop star Katy Perry when it comes to speaking out against the president. Perry fervently supported Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton throughout the presidential election, has made generous donation to Planned Parenthood, and participated in the Women's March on Washington, among so many other important actions. Perry has remained outspoken and has retweeted several tweets against the Muslim Ban, despite the fact that it could mean potentially losing fans. But the singer has also stated that her parents voted for Trump and she said she believes that everyone still needs to be kind to each other, even if they support different political policies.
So I think it's great that Rihanna has voiced her opinion on the Muslim Ban and I hope she continues to do so throughout the Trump presidency. After all, freedom of speech for everyone is one of the things that makes America truly great.
