• Wion
  • /Entertainment
  • /Iraqi actress Enas Taleb sues The Economist for using her image in article on obesity in Arab women

Iraqi actress Enas Taleb sues The Economist for using her image in article on obesity in Arab women

Iraqi actress Enas Taleb sues The Economist for using her image in article on obesity in Arab women

Enas Taleb is suing The Economist.

Iraqi actress Enas Taleb is taking legal action against the British weekly newspaper The Economist for using an image of her to illustrate an article about obesity in women in the Arab world. The featured image of the article, published on July 28 and titled 'Why women are fatter than men in the Arab world' has a Getty Images photo of Enas at the Babylon International Festival held in Iraq.

As per the BBC, Taleb said the image was taken out of context by The Economist and has violated her privacy. She also claimed the photo was doctored by the publication.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

On Instagram, Taleb shared a video that shows her attorney Samantha Kane. In the video, Kane said she is representing in a defamation case that Taleb has slapped on the publication.

The article posited that Iraqi women are more obese than men because women in Arabian countries are forced to stay at home due to factors like poverty and societal norms. So they do not have access to sports and exercise. Also, the article said some men find curvy women to be more attractive.

During an interview with New Lines, Enas said, “I have 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.

Enas Taleb is one of the most popular Iraqi actresses and has more than 9 million followers on Instagram. The Economist was excoriated on social media sites and many called the newspaper "sexist" for the article and the image.