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Many people have treated Donald Trump as the GOP primary's funnyman, the guy who says things so ridiculous that we couldn't stop paying attention to him. "No one actually wants him," I declared confidently to a table of coworkers in August. "He's just good entertainment value." It seemed like the world agreed. But after Trump proposed a ban on all Muslims entering the United States Monday, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton doesn't think Donald Trump is funny anymore. She stated as much in an appearance on Seth Meyer's Late Night Tonight Show Thursday. She added, "He has gone way over the line. What he is saying now is not only shameful and wrong, it is dangerous."
The fact is, Clinton is right. Having one person — Trump — call for scary measures is one thing, but polls show that 30 to 40 percent of Americans are not opposed to Trump's suggested ban. In fact, just over half of Republicans actually support the ban. While some are taking hope in the fact that the majority of Americans don't agree with Trump — and his numbers have dipped since he proposed the ban — it's still scary to see that a third of the nation agrees with his xenophobic measures.
Luckily, many people in power, including Clinton, are taking a stand against Trump's Islamophobia. Here's what thought leaders — including celebrities and politicians in the United States and around the world — are saying about Trump's ban:
Muhammad Ali
Boxer and badass Muhammad Ali released a statement that didn't mention Trump by name, but his hint — "presidential candidates proposing to ban Muslim immigration to the United States" — was close enough.
"True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so-called Islamic Jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion.
"I believe that our political leaders should use their position to bring understanding about the religion of Islam and clarify that these misguided murderers have perverted people's views on what Islam really is."
Mark Zuckerberg
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been killing it lately. On the heels of his announcement that he'll be donating 99 percent of his Facebook shares to improving the world, Zuckerberg chose to speak out against fear-mongering. He even referenced his background as a Jew, drawing further connections between Hitler and Trump (as Simmons and many others have already done).
"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.
"The hate of some can make it easy to succumb to cynicism. We must not lose hope. As long as we stand together and see the good in each other, we can build a better world for all people."
Sorry, Trump. Looks like the world's not having it.
Images: Andrew Burton/Getty Images News; YouTube (1, 2), GIPHY.