Iraqi actress Enas Talib said - in a tweet through her official account on the Instagram website - that she is committed to the judiciary and the legal context, considering it "above all", and thanked "every person who stood, defended and confronted every offender."
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A post shared by enaastaleb_Enas Taleb🪐 (@enaastaleb)
Obesity report
And the British magazine "The Economist" had put Inas Taleb's picture as the main image in a report on obesity in the Arab world under the title "Why are women fatter than men in the Arab world?"
The report, which was published in late July, used a photo taken by Enas 9 months ago, during her participation in the Babel International Festival in Iraq.
The report also mentioned the name of the Iraqi artist frankly, saying: "Iraqis often cite Inas Taleb, the actress (...) as an example of beauty."
The Economist's report discussed the reasons why Arab women gain more weight than men, noting that "Across the world, women are more obese than men. Obesity is a problem for 15% of women and 11% of men, which means that the body mass index (BMI) of Women are 30 or higher, but the obesity gap varies around the world.”
"The Middle East and North Africa has the largest and most persistent gender disparity - many countries in South Africa have large gaps as well - in the Middle East, 26% of women are obese compared to 16% of men," the magazine added.
Only a fifth of women in Arab countries have paid jobs, says the World Bank.
This means that most of them spend most of the day indoors, missing out on passive exercise https://t.co/phI1za8Z9m
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) August 3, 2022
Actress's statements
For its part, the Iraqi newspaper "Al-Sabah" quoted Talib as saying - in a television interview - that "the article contains an insult to Arab women in general, and Iraqi women in particular," stressing that the image was manipulated to distort it with the aim of showing it with greater weight, and also indicated that the use of her image It was done without her knowledge and permission.
She explained that she - as a university professor who teaches legislation and media laws - knows that "they have no right to use my image in this way without my knowledge," noting that "she demanded in the lawsuit for material and moral compensation because of my damage to the image." And for women who consider themselves to be publicly concerned,” according to the same newspaper.
In an interview with New Lines, which focuses on various stories from the Middle East, Talib revealed that she is preparing to sue The Economist, and said, "I have decided to take legal action against The Economist because of the picture of the report; I demand compensation for moral, psychological and social damage." that she caused me," asserting that she and her legal team are in the process of arranging the next steps.
Speaking to New Lines, Talib added, "The public has loved me for many years. It was frustrating to see a well-known media outlet describe me as if all my accomplishments meant nothing. I am healthy and happy in the way I look at myself, and that's all that matters to me." , pointing out that "there is an attempt to distort and abuse Iraqi and Arab women."
broad criticism
The Economist article raised many criticisms, and commentators saw that publishing the image of the Iraqi artist as a front for the report in the form used is bullying, a violation of the publishing rules for those cases, and a violation of the rights of privacy that the owners may not want to publish, and many Iraqi, Arab and international newspapers and websites criticized publishing the image of the Iraqi artist, Including the "Daily Mail" newspaper, which quoted the artist Enas, describing the report as "an insult to all Arab women in general, and Iraqi women in particular."
The well-known Lebanese reporter, Kim Ghattas, criticized the report's title, describing it as "sexist and misogynistic."
This is a shameful headline @TheEconomist and the article is pretty damn bad too.
Sexist misogynistic orientalist.
https://t.co/vFrdOmgoB3
— Kim Ghattas (@KimGhattas) August 5, 2022
On the other hand, Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, did not denounce the use of the Iraqi artist's photo for the report.
He contented himself with writing a comment in which he said: "The many social restrictions imposed on women in the Arab world contribute to the exacerbation of the obesity problem and undermine their health."
The many social restrictions on women in the Arab contribute to an obesity problem and their health.
https://t.co/Bm1DmcTF0a
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) August 1, 2022
Sports commentator Youssef Jamil responded - via Twitter - to Roth's tweet, saying: "We condemn you for putting the image of one of the pioneers of Iraqi and Arab art, the kind and beloved person, Enas Talib, and your words are not true, "only Arab women"; there are women from all countries of the world who suffer of obesity."
We deplore @KenRoth for putting a picture of one of the pioneers of Iraqi and Arab art, the kind and lovable person #Ainas_Talib As your words are not true, only Arab women, there are women from all countries of the world who suffer from obesity https://t.co/gIcPyq3rvI
— Youssef Jameel 🇮🇶 (@yousif_jameel_) August 7, 2022
The "Heya Foundation for Cultural and Media Development" - in a statement published on its Facebook page - denounced the British magazine's report on women's obesity.
The foundation said in its statement, "The use of the British Economist magazine's image of the artist, Enas Taleb, in its report on obesity in the Arab world, is considered bullying, and a violation of publishing rules, in such cases."
The He Foundation called on The Economist and Human Rights Watch to "offer an official apology for this abuse, whether intentional or unintentional."
The many social restrictions on women in the Arab contribute to an obesity problem and their health.
https://t.co/Bm1DmcTF0a
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) August 1, 2022
Iraqi discontent
Iraqi activists also demanded - through social networking sites - the British Economist magazine to apologize - after using a picture of Iraqi actress Enas Taleb in an article on obesity in Arab countries - and to change the image that is still "main" in this report.
Who is Enas Taleb?
Enas Talib, 42, is a well-known figure in Iraq, who has appeared on television since she was 16. She is also a talk show host, and has 9 million followers on Instagram.
Enas Talib is one of the most prominent Iraqi actresses, and she is also a media figure. She was born in Basra (southern Iraq) in 1980, and began her acting career in 1995.
The Iraqi actress, Enas Talib, started her career with the series "Al-Laheeb" in 1995, then continued her participation in the series and on the stage (communication sites)
She began her acting career in the series "The Flame", then continued her participation in several series, such as "Escape to Illusion" in 1995, "The Whale and the Wall" in 1995, "Shadow Men" in 1996, and "Sands Burning Feet" in 1997, "The Tower and the Serpent" in 1997, and "The Case of Dr. Sen" in 1998.
Inas Talib starred in the series "Ashha Al Maawad fi Al-Qaida" in 1999, "Jarrah Al-Ayoun" in 1999, "Minawi Pasha" in which she played the role of "Souad Khatoun" in 2002, and "This is Love" in 2005, and Years Under the Ashes" in 2011, and "The Babe of Baghdad" in 2011.
She played roles in several plays, including: "The Writer" in 1994, "Malek Zamana" in 1998, "Red and Badal" in 2001, and "Mako like him" in 2017, in addition to the movie "Anger" in 1997.
Enas Taleb was a presenter of the "Team Hope" program on "Al Sharqiya" channel in 2017, and "Ramadan Iraqi" on "Al-Iraqiya" channel between 2018 and 2019.
She won the "Best Promising Actress Award" for her role in the play "The Writer" at the Forum Theater Festival in 1995.
The Iraqi artist obtained a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Petra in Jordan, and a graduate of the Higher Institute of Fine Arts in 2000 in Iraq.