‘Moonlight’ Actor Mahershala Ali’s Oscar Win Causes Uproar In Muslim Community

At the recent Oscar awarding ceremony, "Moonlight" Actor Mahershala Ali made history by being the first Muslim to win an Oscar. He took home the award for best supporting actor for his part in the movie "Moonlight."

In his speech, Ali proudly declared he is a Muslim. Some people consider his win an honor for the Muslim community especially since it happened after the United States President Donald Trump's controversial ban involving majority-Muslim countries, according to a report by Variety.

However, there are those who are telling other Muslims not to celebrate his win because they are denying that he is a Muslim, Washington Post reported. Ali is a member of the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam, and some Muslim countries do not recognize the members of the sect as Muslims. Some also reacted negatively to his portrayal of a young gay African-American boy in "Moonlight.

Ali expressed his gratitude to the people who have supported him throughout his career. He also gave a shout-out to his wife, who has recently given birth to their daughter, and thanked the director and screenwriter of "Moonlight."

In winning the best supporting actor award, Ali bested other nominees including Lucas Hedges for "Manchester by the Sea," Michael Shannon for "Nocturnal Animals," Jeff Bridges for "Hell or High Water," and Dev Patel for "Lion."

Ali's win can be seen as a win by the group of people who are fighting against Hollywood for minorities' lack of representation in the business. However, his win also highlighted the deep rift between Islamic sects.

Jobs & Hire previously reported that some of the female Oscar winners also have other jobs aside from acting. As an example, multi-nominee and two-time Academy Award winner, Cate Blanchett, is also a theater director. Julianne Moore and Gwyneth Paltrow also have other jobs aside from being actresses.

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