When US President Donald Trump announced his now-blocked travel ban back in January, model Bella Hadid was among the thousands of Americans who protested the executive order. Along with her sister Gigi, the Victoria's Secret star took to the streets of New York to join the #NoBanNoWall march, expressing her opposition to the proposed ban that targeted 6 Muslim-majority countries.
Now, Bella has opened up as to why the topic is so close to her heart. In an interview with Porter magazine, she described herself as 'proud to be a Muslim', confirming her faith publicly for the first time.
'He was always religious, and he always prayed with us,' she said of her father, Mohamed Hadid, who was a refugee when he moved to the U.S at just 14 years old.
'My dad was a refugee when we first came to America, so it's actually very close to home for my sister and brother and me,' she added.
Speaking to Elle after the #NoBanNoWall protest, Bella said: 'We shouldn’t treat people as if they don’t deserve kindness just because of their ethnicities. That message – to be compassionate whenever possible – is so important to me.'
Watch our exclusive beauty Q&A with Bella Hadid