Angelina Jolie joins Instagram to share stories from Afghanistan; goes viral

Los Angeles - Her post has already racked up over 1.5 million likes in the hours since it was published yesterday.

Actor and producer Angelina Jolie made her social media debut on Instagram on Friday to share a heartfelt letter she received from a teenage girl in Afghanistan in light of recent developments that saw the Taliban take over the country with lightning speed in less than a week.

Notorious for not having a social media account, the activist was true to form in deciding to use her platform for good when she signed up. Her first post has already racked up over 1.5 million likes in the hours since it was published yesterday.

"Right now, the people of Afghanistan are losing their ability to communicate on social media and to express themselves freely. So I’ve come on Instagram to share their stories and the voices of those across the globe who are fighting for their basic human rights," the A-lister wrote.

In the handwritten letter, the youngster expresses her fear of what the new regime might mean for girls like herself. "We are all afraid of them, and we think all our dreams are gone," she said. "We all lost our freedom and we are imprisoned again (sic)."

Jolie, who has already garnered 4.5 million followers, is well-known for her humanitarian work — especially in the field of refugee advocacy, visiting several refugee camps and war zones across the world, from Pakistan to Sierra Leone.

In her post, the actor also shared her own experiences in Afghanistan 20 years ago.

"I was on the border of Afghanistan two weeks before 9/11, where I met Afghan refugees who had fled the Taliban... It is sickening to watch Afghans being displaced yet again out of the fear and uncertainty that has gripped their country.

"To spend so much time and money, to have blood shed and lives lost only to come to this, is a failure almost impossible to understand," she said.

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Jolie termed Afghan refugees "some of the most capable people in the world". To see them being treated like a burden is "sickening", she added.

Vowing to take a stand for the people of Afghanistan, she stated: "Like others who are committed, I will not turn away. I will continue to look for ways to help. And I hope you’ll join me."

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