Denver Nuggets’ Kenneth Faried on Trump’s travel ban: “It’s just breaking America apart”

The Denver Nuggets’ Kenneth Faried was not among those who protested, but the 27-year-old forward, who identifies as a Muslim, said this week that he does not support the ban.
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Power forward Kenneth Faried gets his photo taken at the Denver Nuggets press day, Sept. 26, 2016. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite) pepsi center; nuggets; basketball; sports; kevinjbeaty; denver; colorado; denverite;

Last Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that suspended all refugee admissions into the United States for 120 days. The order also banned Syrians from entering the country indefinitely and stopped citizens from six other predominantly Muslim countries — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen — from entering the country for 90 days.

The executive order was met with protests nationwide. Hundreds protested at Denver International Airport over the weekend. The Denver Nuggets' Kenneth Faried was not among those who protested, but the 27-year-old forward, who identifies as Muslim, said this week that he does not support the ban.

“I think it’s pointless. I think it’s stupid. It’s just breaking America apart," Faried said ahead of Denver's game against Milwaukee on Friday. "We were founded by immigrants, this country. This country was built by immigrants. So it’s like, ‘Why do something like that?’ We give people people green cards, and we give people admission because they want to be a part of America, and now we’re taking that away from people.

“It’s messed up. And on top of that, you add religion to it. In America you’re supposed to believe in any religion you want to. I'm a Muslim brother who was born in America, and it seems disrespectful to me.”

On Monday, Faried posted on Instagram an image of a woman wearing a hijab that resembles an American flag. His caption read, "Astaghfirullah! They know not what they do!"

Sally Yates, who was appointed acting attorney general by former President Barack Obama, ordered Justice Department lawyers not to defend Trump's immigration ban.

Trump fired her from her post Monday. The ban remains in effect.

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