This was published 9 years ago
Iranian actress to boycott Oscars over Donald Trump's 'racist' visa ban
Updated ,first published
Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti, who is the star of the Oscar-nominated The Salesman, is to boycott the Academy Awards in protest against US president Donald Trump's "racist" visa ban.
Among the raft of executive orders signed by Trump in the first days of what promises to be a controversial presidency is one halting immigration from seven Middle Eastern and African countries.
The ban places a temporary prohibition on most refugees, except religious minorities escaping persecution, and suspends the issuing of new visas.
It covers Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen
"Trump's visa ban for Iranians is racist," Alidoosti said in a statement published on her social media account.
"Whether this will include a cultural event or not, I won't attend the Academy Awards in protest."
Alidoosti is the star of Asghar Farhadi's The Salesman, which has been nominated for an Oscar in the best foreign language film category.
The film also competed in the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, winning best actor for Alidoosti's co-star Shahab Hosseini and best screenplay for Farhadi.
The Salesman is considered a strong contender in the category.
In 2012 Farhadi's earlier film A Separation won both the foreign film category at both the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.
Michael Idato is the culture editor-at-large of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.