Article on ‘fat’ Arab women sparks body shaming uproar

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — To Enas Taleb, the headline felt like a spiteful joke.

“Why are women fatter than men in the Arab world?” it read in bold, above a photograph of the Iraqi actress waving onstage at an arts festival.

The Economist article looked at possible explanations for the 10 percentage point obesity gap between men and women in the Middle East, then cited Iraqis who see Taleb’s curves as the ideal of beauty.

“Fat”, a word now considered taboo in much of the Western media, was repeated six times.

The article generated harsh criticism on social networks. Twitter users criticized him as misogynistic. Local rights groups issued complaints. Some writers were horrified by what they described as demeaning stereotypes about Arab women.

Taleb, 42, said he is suing the London-based magazine for defamation.

While analysts acknowledge an obesity epidemic in the Arab world and its connection to poverty and gender discrimination, Taleb’s case and the ensuing uproar shed light on the issue of body shame that is deep-seated but rarely addressed. discuss in the region.

“If there is a student who goes to school and hears cruel comments and students bullying her because she is fat, how would she feel?” Taleb told The Associated Press from Baghdad. “This article is an insult not only to me, but also a violation of the rights of all Iraqi and Arab women.”

The Economist did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Obesity shaming is offensive enough in the United States that when two sportscasters called some overweight female athletes on the air earlier this year, they were quickly fired.

In the Middle East, the report argued, the appeal of plump women may help explain why the region has seen an explosion in obesity.

But the furious reaction to the article, and Taleb’s horror that his photo was used to illustrate the growing waistlines of Arab women, contradicts the oft-repeated belief that being heavy is seen as a sign of wealth and fertility in the region.

The globalization of Western beauty ideals through branding, television, and social media has long resulted in unrealistic body standards that distort women’s expectations of themselves and others in the Arab world. as research shows.

In an upcoming study of Egypt, Joan Costa-Font of the London School of Economics said she found that while some older rural women still see rounder women as rich, “it is not true that in Egypt the being overweight is a sign of beauty. … Western standards are more relevant.”

The demand for cosmetic surgery has skyrocketed in Lebanon. According to a 2010 study by Dubai Zayed University, around 75% of Emirati female students reported being dissatisfied with their body and 25% are prone to eating disorders.

And yet, many say obesity-shaming remains pervasive and acceptable in the region, compared to the US and Europe, where self-esteem movements have gained momentum and fueled public debates about inclusion. .

“Our politicians in Lebanon keep making these horrible sexist comments about women’s bodies. If they are criticized, that does not necessarily lead to more awareness,” said Joumana Haddad, a Lebanese author and human rights activist.

Haddad noted that new forays into female empowerment have sparked “reactionary speech and anger” in Lebanon’s patriarchal society. Even cavalier public comments about weight can be deeply painful for young women struggling with insecurity and a pathological desire to alter their bodies in pursuit of beauty, she added.

“I’m a 51-year-old angry tough feminist and I still weigh myself every morning,” Haddad said. “You can imagine how difficult it is for people who have been less privileged.”

Ameni Esseibi, a Tunisian-born woman who overcame social stigma to become the Arab world’s first plus-size model, said body positivity remains taboo in the Middle East, even as populations become more overweight.

“The Kuwaitis are plus size, the Saudis are plus size. But people are ashamed. They were not taught to trust in this critical society,” Esseibi said. “We always want to be skinny, look good, marry the most powerful guy.”

But, he said, there are signs of a growing awareness. After years of ignoring vulgar comments about women’s bodies, Arabs are increasingly turning to social media to vent their anger.

The Economist article’s description of men “locking women at home” to keep them “Rubenian” struck a nerve.

The Baghdad-based Heya Foundation, or “She,” which advocates for women in the media, denounced the report as “bullying” and demanded that the magazine apologize to Taleb.

The Malaysia-based Musawah Foundation, which promotes equality in the Muslim world, said the backlash shows that “women in the region are building a collective discourse that rejects and denounces sexist, racist and fat-phobic acts and their colonial legacies.” ”.

Taleb, a talk show host and star of hit Iraqi TV dramas, said she had no choice but to speak out.

“My photo was used in this context in a hurtful and negative way,” he said. “I am against using one’s body shape to determine the value of a human being.”

His lawyer, Samantha Kane, said she took legal action, first by sending a letter to The Economist demanding an apology for “serious harm done to (Taleb) and his career.”

Kane declined to comment further pending the magazine’s response.

Taleb said she hopes her defamation case will serve as “a message” for women to “say to themselves, I love myself… to be strong, to face those difficulties.”

It’s a message that resonates in a region where women see the odds stacked against them. Traditional attitudes, discriminatory legislation and salary disparities, in addition to rigid beauty standards, hinder the advancement of women.

“Women do not receive equal salaries. They don’t get high-level positions. They are forced to keep quiet when harassed. And in the media, they have to be slim and beautiful,” said Zeina Tareq, director of the Heya Foundation.

In Taleb’s home country of Iraq, where security is poor after years of conflict, women who speak out also face the threat of targeted assassinations.

Iraqi journalist Manar al-Zubaidi said the shame of Arab women is not surprising in a world where “most media commodify women and make them objects of ridicule or temptation.”

“There is nothing to deter them,” he added, except “increasingly noisy campaigns and challenges on social media.”

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Hyde reported from Buzet, Croatia.

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