Bella Hadid has nearly 12 million followers on Instagram, another couple hundred thousand on Twitter and can likely be found on the nearest billboard if only you just look up.
With that kind of reach comes a degree of responsibility, so Hadid, an out-and-proud member of the resistance, is opening up about her religion and her experience being the daughter of a Palestinian refugee.
“My dad was a refugee when he first came to America, so it’s actually very close to home for my sister [Gigi] and brother [Anwar] and me,” Hadid said in PORTER’s Summer Issue, according to E! Online.
Bella is the daughter of model Yolanda Hadid and the Palestinian real estate developer Mohamed Hadid, whose father was expelled from Israel when Mohammed was a child and eventually moved the family to the United States.
“[My dad] was always religious, and he always prayed with us,” the supermodel added. “I am proud to be a Muslim.”
Following President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Hadid, along with sister Gigi, joined demonstrators marching in New York City to protest the recent executive orders on immigration.
Hadid shared a photo of herself carrying a sign reading, “We Are All Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Atheists, Christians, Jews,” with different letters bolded to spell the word “Humans.”
Speaking with Elle in an interview after the protest, the 20-year-old said that she left feeling “optimistic” about the future after witnessing so many people organizing peacefully.
“I come from a really diverse background. I’ve had incredible experiences all over the world ... and I’ve learned that we’re all just people, and we all deserve respect and kindness,” she explained of her decision to march. “We shouldn’t treat people as if they don’t deserve kindness just because of their ethnicities. It’s just not right. And that message — to be compassionate whenever possible — that’s so important to me.”
To read Hadid’s full interview buy the latest issue of PORTER on sale April 7 or check out the digital edition.
