Dubai: Actor Samuel L Jackson says Muslim Americans are the new black kids in his country as people perceive them as a threat before even saying hello.
The actor, best known for his roles in Quentin Tarantino’s movies such as “Hateful Eight”, “Django Unchained” and “Pulp Fiction”, attended the Dubai International Film Festival here to receive a lifetime achievement award.
Talking about diversity, Jackson said HBO’s show “The Night Of” was amazing but average Americans would call it a black show, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
“Muslims are getting arrested like black kids get arrested; Muslim Americas are the new black kids in America. Suspect as we are for the dominant culture, people don’t understand them. People perceive them as a threat before even saying hello.
“But the Muslim community is present in our country. They are a vital part of our country and interestingly enough they have less crime, more education and their businesses thrive more so than any other group in the country. You tell people in the Rust Belt that, and they’re like, ‘Get out of here’.”
Talking about the Hollywood award season, Jackson said this time it seems a bit different from the #OscarsSoWhite controversy of last year.
When later asked by an audience member about his thoughts on Donald Trump, Jackson said, “My agent won’t let me answer that question.”