Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has just announced that she will register as Muslim if a registry is enacted in America.
Albright made the comment on Twitter this week, saying she was "ready to register as Muslim in solidarity." President Donald Trump and other administration officials have previously said a Muslim registry could be implemented.
After a pending executive order banning immigration and refugees from several Muslim majority countries was revealed this week, a Muslim registry felt closer to becoming a reality than ever.
Albright also tweeted that "America must remain open to people of all faiths and backgrounds," including the hashtag "refugees welcome."
Having moved to the U.S. as a child, Albright knows firsthand the reality of being an immigrant. Her personal story serves as a prime criticism of anti-immigration policy. She became the first woman to serve as America's secretary of state in 1997.
Such a prominent American throwing her full support behind the Muslim community is widely appreciated. But, it's important to note that Albright – under the leadership of President Bill Clinton – was instrumental in sanctions on Iraq that are estimated to have cost the lives of half a million children.
In a 1996 interview Albright, who was the U.S. ambassador to the UN at the time, was asked if she thought the "price" was "worth it". She responded saying it was.
"I think this is a very hard choice, but the price — we think the price is worth it," she said.
She later said she regretted the response.
"I have said 5,000 times that I regret it. It was a stupid statement," she told Democracy Now in 2004. "I wrote it in my book that it was a stupid statement."