Iraqi Actress Set To Take Legal Action Against The Economist For Fat Shaming Her

By Zainab Pervez in Entertainment On 12th August 2022
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An Iraqi actress and talk show host is suing The Economist for using her photo to illustrate a story about how women are fatter than men in the Arab world. 

Enas Taleb, 42, a well-known television personality within Iraq, was outraged to see a photo of herself during a performance at Iraq's annual cultural Babylon Festival nine months ago beneath the headline about fat women.

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The Economist after it used a photo of her in its July article “Why Women Are Fatter Than Men in the Arab World,” according to New Lines magazine. The piece in question argued that Arab women are overweight due to poverty and restrictions on leaving their homes. It also discusses an obesity gender gap in the Middle East and North Africa by examining the cultural, social and economic factors at play.

Of the many potential reasons, it cites the sedentary lifestyle of Arab women who are discouraged from leaving the house, and the carb-heavy diet and fatty foods more easily available to the poorer segments of the population. 

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The Economist article directly mentions the Iraqi star: “A final cause of obesity, according to some women, is that many Arab men prefer them to be Ruben-esque. Shutting women up at home helps keep them that way. Shireen Rashid, another Iraqi housewife, wants to shed a few pounds. But not too many. ‘When you are skinny, you lose your femininity,’ she says. Her husband does not want her to lose weight at all. He fears she will ‘feel like a piece of wood in bed’. Iraqis often cite Enas Taleb, an actress with ample curves (pictured), as the ideal of beauty.”

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The actress told New Lines Magazine that she has 'decided to take legal action against The Economist for their cover story.' 

'I am demanding compensation for the emotional, mental and social damage this incident has caused me. My legal team and I are arranging the next steps' she said after the article was published on July 28.

Enas Taleb said that the image was used out of context without her permission, and violated her privacy. She also claimed it had been photoshopped.

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Taleb said the article was an “insult to the Arab woman in general and Iraqi women in particular,” and asked why the paper “takes interest in fat women in the Arab world and not in Europe or the USA,” according to the outlet

She reportedly told al-Arabiya TV she was the recipient of “bullying comments” from the unwanted press. 

'Audiences have loved me for many years. It was disappointing to see an international outlet label me as if all my accomplishments mean nothing,' she said. 

'I am healthy and happy with the way I look, and to me that is all that matters.' 

The feature sparked outrage among Arab and non-Arab readers with some accusing the publication of double standards.

“Plus-size artists such as Lizzo and models like Ashley Graham are celebrated for their role in making the body-positive movement mainstream. It is difficult to find an example of an internationally respected publication that has held up a photo of a ‘fat’ Western woman as a means of shaming her,” wrote Rasha Al-Aqeedi of Newslines Magazine in her piece.

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Taleb, a married mother of two, has been a popular and reassuring presence on Iraqi television since her breakthrough role in 1996 at the age of 16. Since then she has appeared in ads and music videos consistently over the past two decades.

Her Instagram following of 9 million gave her increased publicity and heft to fight back when she saw that her photo had been used in such a manner by the Economist. 

The Economist article faced criticism on social media, accusing it of being "racist", "sexist" and "shaming" Arab women.

On Twitter, users also took issue with the headline, including Kim Ghattas of the Atlantic who called it “sexist misogynistic orientalist.”

In her interview with al-Arabiya TV she said the Economist was unlucky to have angered her.

"They did not know that I'm a celebrity and a public figure," she said.

"I can turn crises into gains."