For GRAZIA’s third episode of Preserving Palestine, I invited Palestinian-Syrian model Lana Albeik to join me as we discuss the stereotypes of Arab women, the repercussions of speaking up for Palestine, and the art and creativity that comes from her country.
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You could say that Lana, who has become a familiar face in the fashion industry in the Middle East, became a model accidentally. And as for the first paid gig she worked on, it was fatefully a for Palestinian brand. “This is actually a question that I really like when it comes to discussing the topic of Palestine because the very first paid project I ever did was with a Palestinian thob brand called Shop Thob here in Dubai,” she shares.
Whilst some may not relate, it must have been difficult to tell her parents that she wanted to pursue a career in modelling as a young Arab woman. “I struggled with my family in the beginning, this was when I was 16. So way before I even got into this modelling scene, I got a casting call for a Clean & Clear commercial. And my parents were really upset that I went to it, they were absolutely not cool with it. And for a while they weren’t. It took time for them to realise that it’s not as bad as they think,” she admits to me.
Whilst her family eventually got on board and are undoubtedly proud of her success, Lana still seems to struggle when it comes to the unfortunate and quite frankly, outdated perception that men seem to have regarding a woman’s capabilities. Lana had a full-time job, modelled part-time and also pursued a Master’s degree. And yet, she was still dumbfounded by the ignorance of some men around her. “It’s like a shock for them that I can work my brain, it just doesn’t cross a man’s mind that a girl can actually do more.”
“It’s like a shock for them that I can work my brain, it just doesn’t cross a man’s mind that a girl can actually do more.”
As for the topic of Palestine, I was curious to know how Lana would describe Palestinian women. “It’s a huge spectrum. There are so many of us in different ways. I think, though, the main thing is that we’re really strong. We don’t mess around. You can’t mess with us.” Clearly, I agree with Lana (unbiasedly).
When it comes to speaking up for the Palestinian cause, Lana admits that raising awareness is something non-negotiable. “I actually have to do this, even if you have very little following. You just feel this urge. I’m not considered someone with a huge following. But when you think about it, like 50,000 people, you can’t put that number in a small room, right? So when you think of that, that’s a lot of people. So you really feel like you need to say what is right, it just feels wrong not to for me. And I think it’s weird when certain Palestinians who have huge followings don’t do that. I find that quite weird. How is your body not telling you to do that?”
“How is your body not telling you to do that?”
When discussing the possibility of visiting Palestine, which Lana heartbreakingly has little hope for, she admits, “I’m not really sure if I’m ready to see Palestine the way it is. I’m not sure I want to see the occupation there. I’m not sure I want to see settlers or see the interactions.”
Whilst Lana may not be hopeful about returning to her homeland, she still considers herself lucky that she was able to hear her family’s stories, thanks to her cousin. “I’m very blessed with a cousin who is a journalist. He managed to sit down with my grandpa before he passed, and he documented the whole story. So we have that. It’s all archived. It’s a recording, and it’s inspired some work that I’ve done as well in the film field. My grandpa passed when I was so young, but I still feel like it’s okay. Like I got to hear the story. And it’s all thanks to my cousin.”
When it feels like the world is trying to erase our history, it’s vital for us to record these stories so that others, like Lana, can hear them and share them. After all, that’s what will they help us to Preserve Palestine.
