Zuckerberg vows to protect Muslim rights, offers save haven in Facebook

After Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump controversial proposal to bar all Muslims from entering the United States, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg welcomes them in his massive social media platform.

The Verge reported that the young billionaire said Muslims are always welcome on Facebook, and that his company will fight to protect their rights and create a haven for them through the social media platform. Zuckerberg said that his parents, who are Jews, taught him to fight attacks against all communities.

"If you're a Muslim in this community, as the leader of Facebook I want you to know that you are always welcome here and that we will fight to protect your rights and create a peaceful and safe environment for you," said Zuckerberg in a report by the Huffington Post. "Having a child has given us so much hope, but the hate of some can make it easy to succumb to cynicism. We must not lose hope."

Meanwhile, according to The Wrap, Trump's prejudice remarks against Muslims sparked outrage and was condemned by a lot of politicians. It garnered a lot of hate statements posted in his official campaign site Monday. A lot of people argue that his ideals and intentions are the same as Hitler and Nazi Germany.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is one of the politicians who condemned Trump's statement. Meanwhile, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron supported the calls to ban the presidential candidate from U.K.

Zuckerberg may not be able to influence national policy through his statement, but Facebook's support for Muslims will definitely shape the minds of people online. That is exactly what Google's Eric Schmidt proposed a few days ago, saying the government and the technology industry should work together to make sure the internet is safe from harassment and hate. Zuckerberg's statement of support for Muslims is a big step towards that goal.