Gigi Hadid is in some geographical hot water on social media for reportedly referring to her boyfriend Zayn Malik as "Middle Eastern" in an interview. While promoting her Tommy x Gigi collection in Dubai, Gigi spoke with reporters about her heritage and explained that she and Zayn share that connection. Gigi reportedly said, "When someone comes up to me and they tell me, ‘I'm Palestinian' and we make a connection, it's beautiful. My boyfriend is also half Middle Eastern. It's just a connection that you make that's really cool. It's hard to explain but you feel like you're amongst [your] people."
The problem with Gigi's statement is that Zayn is Pakistani, and Pakistan is not part of the Middle East. Fans are taking to social media to call Gigi out on her mistake, which is just all kinds of uncomfortable.
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So, to break this down — Gigi is of Palestinian descent, while Zayn is Pakistani. Palestine is located on the western coast of the Middle East, while Pakistan is part of South Asia, and shares a border with India. Many countries lie between the two, such as Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan.
The Middle East is not a continent, but rather a region that spans multiple continents, which makes it understandably more challenging to identify on maps. It is adjacent to South Asia, and includes countries such as Egypt, Syria, Israel, Iraq, and Iran. Pakistan is not part of the Middle East, but it is adjacent to the Middle Eastern region, which could lead people to mistakenly think that it's part of the Middle East. Furthermore, Pakistan is a predominantly Muslim country. In fact, it was listed last year as the second country with the largest Muslim population the world. The religious makeup of Pakistan could also lead people to accidentally think it was part of the Middle East, which also contains a large Muslim population.
With that, Gigi made a mistake, and we're all human. We're all guilty of saying things accidentally or making generalizations, it doesn't mean that she's a bad person. We can correct her without being mean about it or calling her names. That said, it's important to know that this is how stereotypes are born; ethnicities shouldn't be lumped together under an incorrect umbrella. Spreading knowledge and awareness is important, but spreading negativity and hate is unproductive. So when someone makes a mistake like this, it's important to correct them, but to do so in a way that promotes understanding — not animosity.
Related:
- Zayn Malik Is a Mainstream, Muslim Pop Icon — Here's Why That Matters
- Why Zayn Malik Might Possibly Be the World’s Best Boyfriend
- Gigi Hadid Broke a MAJOR Fashion Rule, and She Looks Amazing
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