Angelina Jolie debuts on Instagram by sending a message from an Afghan girl | Ents & Arts News

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Angelina Jolie debuted on Instagram using her first post to highlight the plight of young women in Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power.

The actress gained more than 1.8 million followers within two hours of joining the social media platform after posting pictures of a letter she received from a teenage girl in Afghanistan.

The 46-year-old, who is the special envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has hidden the name of the letter outlining the young woman’s concerns about living in the country.

The teenager wrote about the difficulties of going to school due to Taliban control, saying, “We all lost our freedom and were imprisoned again.”

She also says, “We all had rights, and we were able to defend our rights freely, but when (the Taliban) came, we were all afraid of them and we thought all our dreams were gone.”

Jolie said she feared the Afghan people would lose their “ability to communicate through social media and express themselves freely” after the takeover of the country.

“I have come to Instagram to share their stories and the voices of those fighting for basic human rights around the world,” she added.

Her short biography on the site indicated that in addition to her work with the United Nations, she is also a mother and filmmaker.

“I was on the Afghan border two weeks before 9/11, meeting Afghan refugees who fled the Taliban. That was 20 years ago,” she wrote.

“It is upsetting to watch Afghans being displaced once again by the fear and uncertainty that grip their country.

“Spending so much time and money, spilling blood and losing lives just for it, is a failure that is almost impossible to fathom.

“Watching how Afghan refugees – some of the most capable people in the world – have been treated as a burden for decades is also sickening.”

She added, “Knowing that if they had the tools and respect, how much would they do for themselves. And to meet so many women and girls who not only wanted an education, but fought for it.”

“Like committed others, I will not hold back. I will continue to look for ways to help. I hope you will join me.”

The post also includes a photo of seven Afghan women facing away from the camera.

Last week, the Taliban took control of the Afghan capital, Kabul, signaling the collapse of the country’s government.

Since then, thousands of people have tried to flee the country, and desperate mothers have been seen handing over their babies to troops and personnel stranded on planes.

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