Modern Model August 2014 | Page 23

Model:
 Ramea
 Almubarak

Photos
 ©
 Studio
 M
 Portraits

because
  there
  is
  a
  big
  informa\on

gap
  between
  Muslims
  and
  western

people,”
  Ramea
  said,
  adding
  that

she
  also
  heard
  whispers
  from
  an
  old

friend
  that
  reminded
  her
  that
  she

might
  be
  able
  to
  fill
  this
  gap
  and

build
  bridges
  of
  love
  between
  the

two
  distant
  cultures
  –
  her
  fairy,

Ramea
 the
 Model.

  “She
  came
  back!
  She
  was

alive
  again!
  She
  told
  me
  now
  is
  your

chance
  to
  use
  your
  talent
  and

prac\ce
 your
 passion,”
 Ramea
 said.

  With
  the
  help
  of
  friends,

Ramea
  said
  she
  quickly
  created
  a

fashion
  blog
  to
  show
  her
  fashion

and
  lifestyle,
  and
  a
  Facebook

modeling
  page
  \tled,
  “Ramea’s

Scarf.”

  Hoping
  for
  acceptance,

Ramea
  said
  she
  was
  immediately

Modern Model Page 23

aCacked
 as
 a
 model,
 as
 a
 woman,
 as

a
 Muslim,
 and
 as
 an
 engineer.

  “I
  was
  told
  one
  person
  should

not
  be
  all
  of
  these
  things,
  so
  you

have
  to
  pick
  some
  of
  them
  and

compromise
  yourself
  to
  meet
  the

expecta\ons
  of
  others,
  and
  society

in
  general,”
  she
  said,
  adding
  that

this
 \me,
 she
 refused
 to
 choose.

 “I
 decided
 not
 to
 give
 up
 what
 I

like
  to
  do
  anymore,”
  she
  said.
  “I

want
  them
  all
  –
  modeling,
  Hijab,

engineering,
 and
 woman.”

 Ramea
 also
 learned
 that
 the
 best

way
  to
  challenge
  the
  industry

standards
  of
  modeling
  was
  not
  to

fight
  them,
  or
  defy
  them,
  but
  to

simple
 ignore
 them.

  “Nobody
  has
  the
  right
  to

objec\fy
  me
  or
  any
  model
  by

pushing
  her
  to
  be
  half
  or
  fully

naked,
  with
  their
  ul\matums,”
  she

explained.
  “I
  am
  not
  any
  company

or
 agency’s
 property.
 I
 am
 a
 model.
 I

am
 an
 ar\st.”

 The
 modeling
 industry
 found

many
  ways
  to
  fight
  back,
  Ramea

admiCed.

  “I
  lost
  many
  chances
  of
  being

a
  model
  in
  big
  agencies
  because
  I

refused
  to
  take
  my
  Hijab
  off,”
  she

said,
  adding
  that
  she
  was
  told
  that

she
  had
  perfect
  supermodel

standards
  and
  had
  a
  chance
  to
  be

very
 famous
 if
 she
 abandoned
 Hijab.

“In
  fashion
  shows,
  I
  have
  found

designers
 who
 put
 me
 down,
 I
 have

been
 told
 that
 as
 a
 Muslim
 woman
 I

do
  not
  belong
  in
  the
  fashion

industry,
  and
  have
  been
  told
  that
  I

personally
 am
 not
 aCrac\ve
 enough

to
 be
 there.”