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Wyclef Jean Asks Haitians to Give Up Crime |
Contributed By: Dan Schwartz
Created On: Sunday, 30 March 2008
Hits: 53
 Wyclef Jean
"If you love Wyclef, that means you love Haiti. So you should not be raping women, kidnapping people and children, because there can be no excuse for doing so," Jean said in Creole in a short ad run several times a day by local stations in Haiti.
"I reject these evil practices," said the 35-year-old Jean, who also urged Haitian men to respect and protect women's rights.
Fred Blaise, a spokesman for the U.N. police, said Jean's popularity among Haitians from across the social spectrum may positively influence youngsters involved in crime, and could motivate others to stay out of trouble.
"All kinds of Haitians, the good guys as well as the bad guys, have a lot of appreciation for Wyclef for what he represents as a Haitian," Blaise told Reuters on Sunday.
"So they would be more likely to be receptive to Wyclef's message because they are all proud of him," he said.
Jean, who first gained fame as a member of the Grammy-winning hip-hop trio The Fugees, enjoys enormous respect in Haiti. Last year, he was appointed by Haitian President Rene Preval to serve as a roving ambassador to improve the nation's image abroad.
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