Bella Hadid has spoken publicly about being Muslim for the first time in a new interview for Porter magazine.

"My dad was a refugee when he first came to America, so it's actually very close to home for my sister and brother and me," Hadid says. Mohamed Hadid, a real estate mogul, was born in Nazareth in Palestine, living in Syria and Lebanon before moving as a refugee to America as a teenager. Bella, Gigi and Anwar are half-Dutch and half-Palestinian; their mother is the former model Yolanda Hadid.

Speaking about her father, Bella says, "He was always religious, and he always prayed with us," adding, "I am proud to be a Muslim". It is the first time the model has spoken so explicitly about her Islamic faith.

Watch: Bella Hadid gives us her guide to LA.

Bella took part in the New York protest march against Donald Trump's racist Muslim ban in February. Speaking about her decision to march, she told Elle, "Well, I come from a really diverse background. I've had incredible experiences all over the world… and I've learned that we're all just people, and we all deserve respect and kindness. We shouldn't treat people as if they don't deserve kindness just because of their ethnicities. It's just not right. And that message -- to be compassionate whenever possible -- that's so important to me".

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Text Charlotte Gush

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