Riz Ahmed is raising money for Syrian refugees, proving he’s got a heart of gold
The star of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and HBO’s The Night Of, Riz Ahmed, is raising money for Syrian refugees, and it’s something we can 100% get behind.
It’s safe to say that we were already pretty taken with Riz Ahmed (okay, we’ve been crushing HARD on him for a while), and we couldn’t get enough of him in Rogue One, and if you’ve not watch the brilliantly atmospheric The Night Of on OHBO then you should do that ASAP (it’s like a dramatic Making a Murderer).
However, now we have one more reason to be totally enamoured with Riz.
Alongside his The Night Of co-star John Turturro, who plays the lawyer John Stone in the acclaimed HBO mini-series, Ahmed took to social media to encourage people to help Syrian refugees.
Ahmed’s move comes following an Executive Order by President Trump that banned the entry of Syrian refugees, among other immigrants and people in need, into America, a move that some are calling unconstitutional.
In a video, Ahmed and Turturro say that they “have an itch” to do something good, like helping refugees.
"It's now harder and harder for [refugees] to flee all the misery that they're suffering through no fault of their own," Ahmed says. "We have so far raised $100,000 for Syrian refugee children, get them emergency aid and get them an education."
Continuing, Ahmed, who has been vocal about the massive humanitarian crisis in Syria, said that while he may have already nearly reached the goal for his CrowdRise campaign, he was extending it.
“With everything that’s going on right now, we’ve decided to extend our campaign, so we’re just asking you to go online and donate,” he explained.
A message from me + my lawyer about Syrian refugees… pic.twitter.com/SF7ESzOZEa
— Riz Ahmed (@rizwanahmed) January 31, 2017
On the campaign website, Ahmed notes that the money raised will go to the Karam Foundation “a widely respected grassroot organization distributing smart aid to address families’ immediate needs and delivering education programmes for vulnerable refugee youth.”
What’s more, donors will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win some incredible prizes, such as signed Star Wars memorabilia and Riz’s D&G tuxedo worn at the Golden Globes.
It’s so great to see a young star like Riz Ahmed using his platform for important causes, especially something so important as the refugee crisis. Gah, we just love him!
You can find more information and donate to Riz’s CrowdRise campaign here.
