Angelina Jolie joins Instagram to share 'important' message with her fans

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By stefan armitage

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Angelina Jolie has made her Instagram debut - but rather than share selfies with the world, she has instead shared what many are calling an "important" message.

The 46-year-old Maleficent actor shared her first post on the social media platform on Friday, August 20, urging others to join her in support of women and girls in Afghanistan.

Explaining her decision to join the image-sharing site in the post's caption, Jolie writes: "This is a letter I was sent from a teenage girl in Afghanistan.

"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."

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Credit: UPI / Alamy

As reported by Vanity Fair, Jolie's debut on Instagram resulted in her amassing two million followers in just two hours - a potential new record on the platform. As of this writing, Jolie stands at 5.2 million followers.

As for her one and only post, it shows a letter given to Jolie that was written by a young girl in Afghanistan. She writes in fear at how the Taliban will revoke her human rights, and how the Taliban have "a very bad past".

Jolie's caption continued: "I was on the border of Afghanistan two weeks before 9/11, where I met Afghan refugees who had fled the Taliban. This was twenty years ago.

"It is sickening to watch Afghans being displaced yet again out of the fear and uncertainty that has gripped their country."

Speaking of the Taliban's sudden political takeover of Afghanistan on Sunday, Jolie writes: "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."

The mom-of-six then writes about how watching Afghanistan refugees being "treated like a burden" is "sickening".

She concluded the post by writing: "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."

The post has amassed over 2.16 million likes in less than 22 hours.

Many commenters praised Jolie for sharing her "important" message with the world.

"So proud of you! Thank u so much for using your voice," wrote one Instagram fan account.

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Credit: Instagram
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Credit: Instagram

A second typed: "Welcome to Instagram and thank you for speaking up for the Afghan women who don't have a chance to use their voices right now."

The official page for Amnesty International simply wrote: "Important. Thank you, Angelina."

Featured image credit: Sipa US / Alamy