Mahershala Ali win an Oscar

Mahershala Ali won the Academy Award for best supporting actor this evening, it was reportedly the first time the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had awarded an Oscar to a Muslim actor. Ali, who converted to Islam 17 years ago, was recognized for his portrayal of Juan, a drug dealer who becomes a father figure to lead character Chiron in Barry Jenkins’s coming-of-age story Moonlight, which was also nominated for best picture. He also had a supporting role in another best-picture nominated movie, Hidden Figures. Ali’s milestone comes weeks after US president Donald Trump attempted to block US entry to citizens of seven Muslim-majority nations. The executive order has been blocked by a federal judge.