Angelina Jolie
Hindus have commended Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for honoring Hollywood star Angelina Jolie with “Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award” for her humanitarian work.
“She has aided and inspired millions”, award citation said about ultra famous-talented-rich-beautiful 38-year old Oscar winner Jolie (Changeling).
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, lauded the Academy for finally noticing Jolie’s devotion to humanitarian causes. It was an honor well deserved, though long overdue, Zed added.
Jolie; known for her refugee projects, conservation work and philanthropy; had promoted humanitarian causes with her extraordinary service and displayed dedication in serving refugees, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out.
Rajan Zed urged Jolie, who is Special Envoy of UN High Commissioner for Refugees, to adopt the cause of European Roma and highlight the maltreatment faced by 15-million of them who lived in apartheid conditions. If she wanted his services in regard to Roma cause, he was willing to support her.
Zed stated that Jolie, world’s most powerful celebrity, would be very effective in focusing public opinion world over on the plight of Roma. Many Hollywood and other entertainment bigwigs had successfully worked against South Africa’s apartheid in the past.
Rajan Zed stressed that he was hopeful that Jolie would not stay apathetic and silent spectator. Roma were a worthwhile cause for her to undertake and she needed to put serious efforts to highlight and improve the plight of this most discriminated and persecuted population of the world, Zed added.
European Roma reportedly regularly faced social exclusion, racism, substandard education, hostility, joblessness, rampant illness, inadequate housing, lower life expectancy, unrest, living on desperate margins, language barriers, stereotypes, mistrust, rights violations, discrimination, marginalization, appalling living conditions, prejudice, human rights abuse, racist slogans on Internet, unusually high unemployment rates, etc., Zed noted.