I never imagined that because I was an actor on the television series I would one day have the privilege of associating myself with an organisation like the International Rescue Committee.
People ask, how did I get into this? I was shooting Homeland in Berlin. The first episode in the fifth season took place in a Syrian refugee camp. At the same time in the real world, I was reading articles about tens of thousands of refugees trying to get to Germany for sanctuary and salvation. I saw those pictures and I remember thinking so clearly that it was my family there – Grandpa Max and my Grandma Celia who fled Poland, Russia and Lithuania around 1900 to come to America. They had their arms open towards people in need from other countries and America became the melting pot of the world. Refugees from so many countries added to the cultural, political, scientific and artistic values and made America stronger in every aspect of society.
America became a nation of walls rather than welcome because of politicians looking to get themselves elected. They chose to point the finger at the most vulnerable people in the world. They are not connected to human lives, human heartbeats and the faces of children. It is the antithesis of the American character and the American identity. Those who use the argument that there might be bad apples in the crowd – of course there are bad apples. They are everywhere. I’m an actor, there are bad actors! I ask people to please wake up and use their instincts and their smarts and recognise when politicians are telling you false information to make you afraid of our fellow human beings.
I know that there is criticism for what people in a variety of organisations in my country have done over the years. Some of their criticism is justified, some may not be, but in terms of the people I’ve met in the CIA who are very high up who have become friends of mine, I have come to learn how passionate they are about the refugee crisis. I know they do everything possible to make sure that we are doing all that can be done to bring human beings to safety, to refuge, to resettlement, and at the same time ensuring the safety of the citizens of our
own country.
You only hear of the mistakes that have been made – as they say in the news business, if it bleeds it leads. It’s a secret business so you don’t hear about the successes that have taken place and all the hard work. But because of my association with these people, I’ve never felt safer in my life. The real threat is fear from a lack of education, trying to educate people about the difference between made-up facts and truth. It’s not a political game, it is nothing less than a matter of life and death. The most important thing you can do is to be aware of them and listen to their stories. Do a little work to wake up your soul.
