New ad celebrates female Arab athletes

The minute-long clip that has now gone viral with over four million views, highlights the achievements of a few Middle Eastern women. The video, in Arabic with English subtitles, also asks the question, ‘What will they say about you?’ Parkour athlete Amal Murad, featured in the video, says the phrase is “every little girl’s nightmare... we hear this every time we do something that might be met with criticism.” 

Meanwhile, Zahra Lari, the first woman to wear a hijab while figure skating, says, “I’ve had a lot of criticism throughout my journey, but I’ve never let that bring me down.” The video shows women being stared at, disapprovingly, while running and skateboarding. 

“What will they say about you?” the narrator asks repeatedly. “There’s a fear to stand out and do something that’s not part of the norm... I’ve learned that, if you genuinely want to do something amazing, you can’t be afraid of this phrase,” adds Murad. 

It also features Tunisian fencer Ines Boubakri and Emirati singer Balqees Fathi. It has been narrated by actor-activist Fatima Al-Banawi.