To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Sir Mo Farah Has Attacked Donald Trump's 'Muslim Ban'

Sir Mo Farah Has Attacked Donald Trump's 'Muslim Ban'

Gary Lineker has offered his support.

James Dawson

James Dawson

Sir Mo Farah has taken to Facebook to respond to Donald Trump's "Muslim ban" that blocks travel to the USA from seven Muslim-majority countries.

The Olympic gold medalist is among those thought to be affected by the ban, as he is is a British passport holder but was born in Somalia. Although he now lives in the US, he is understood to be away training in Ethiopia, meaning he may not be able to return to his family.

The 33-year-old runner lambasted Trump's decision to sign the controversial executive order, which means that British citizens travelling to America on UK passports will be blocked from entering if they have dual-citizenship with countries targeted in the ban.

Farah is a British citizen who does not have dual nationality or hold a Somalian passport. However, he was born in Somalia before moving to the UK at the age of eight, so would still be subject to the ban, the Guardian reports.

The Four-time Olympic gold medalist was knighted last year. Credit: PA

Accusing Trump of "making him an alien" with the policy, he wrote: "On 1st January this year, Her Majesty The Queen made me a Knight of the Realm. On 27th January, President Donald Trump seems to have made me an alien.

"I am a British citizen who has lived in America for the past six years - working hard, contributing to society, paying my taxes and bringing up our four children in the place they now call home.

"Now, me and many others like me are being told that we may not be welcome. It's deeply troubling that I will have to tell my children that Daddy might not be able to come home - to explain why the President has introduced a policy that comes from a place of ignorance and prejudice.

"I was welcomed into Britain from Somalia at eight years old and given the chance to succeed and realise my dreams. I have been proud to represent my country, win medals for the British people and receive the greatest honour of a knighthood. My story is an example of what can happen when you follow polices of compassion and understanding, not hate and isolation."

(Farah with not one but two gold medals following his heroics in Rio 2016)

At the time of writing Mo Farah's post has received over 100,000 likes on Facebook.

Elsewhere, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyncalled for Donald Trump to be blocked from making his planned state visit to the UK as long as his "Muslim ban", blocking travel to the USA from seven Muslim-majority countries, is in place.

And after sustained criticism, overnight Downing Street issued a statement saying Prime Minister Theresa May was opposed to the ban.

At the time of writing, more than 200,000 people have signed a petition demanding Donald Trump's state visit to the UK be cancelled in the wake of the ban.

What Is The 'Muslim Ban'?

Credit: PA Images

Trump signed the order on Friday to bar all refugees from entering the USA for 120 days, keep out Syrian refugees indefinitely, and restrict travel for individuals from seven countries: Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen Iran and Iraq.

"It's working out very nicely," Trump said of his executive order on Saturday. "You see it at the airports, you see it all over."

But the order sparked mass protests in airports across the country after authorities detained travellers, with especially large crowds at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Today it emerged a New York judge has temporarily holted deportations of people who arrived in the US with valid visas but were detained on entry, following President Trump's executive order to block travel from seven Muslim-majority countries.

The American Civil Liberties Union, immigrants' rights groups and refugee relief organizations jointly filed the action in federal court yesterday morning, on behalf of two Iraqi nationals who were detained at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.

The action requested a declaration that the order is unconstitutional and for an injunction to prevent its implementation against other travellers entering the USA.

Featured Image Credit: PA Images

Topics: Mo Farah, Trump