Japanese CEO ‘very sad to see what is happening now in the US’

The order bans the entry of refugees and travelers from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

Although a temporary stay has been granted that blocks the deportation of those with a valid visa and approved refugee applications, Rakuten’s CEO Hiroshi “Mickey” Mikitani on Tuesday called the exclusion of “people based on their nationality or religion extremely disappointing.”

“We have led Japan on encouraging diversity and inclusion and developing the next generation of responsible tech entrepreneurs,” he said of his company’s evolution over the past 20 years in a LinkedIn post.

Mikitani also revealed in a series of posts on Twitter that Rakuten’s messaging platform Viber, which the company acquired in 2014 for $900 million, would offer free international calls to the seven countries affected by the order.

“I am very sad to see what is happening now in the US. I came to US when I was seven and I really respect big American big heart,” the Harvard-educated businessman wrote.

“In the coming days and weeks, we will do our best to continue to support all of our colleagues and the many diverse communities they represent, regardless of their nationality or religion,” he added.

Calls made on Viber from the U.S. to landlines in the seven nations range from $0.15 per minute to $0.70 per minute, according to Fortune.

Other big brands have come out against Trump’s order, including Starbucks which pledged to hire 10,000 refugees.

Ridsharing app Lyft plans to donate $1 million over the next four years to the American Civil Liberties Union, while homestay network Airbnb is offering free housing to those affected by the ban. Google has also created a $4 million crisis campaign.

Feature Image via Flickr / Official Leweb Photos