People Are Challenging Arab Beauty Standards By Taking Selfies With #TheHabibatiTag

The photos are showcasing the range of beauty among North African, Middle Eastern, and Arab people.

The hashtag #TheHabibatiTag was started by Twitter user @saradmahmoud and friends.

#TheHabibatiTag is a tag started by myself and 3 other gorgeous women who are middle eastern. This tag is meant to be gender neutral, and-

-it and show how prideful we are to be Middle Eastern. ❤️❤️❤️

"Habibati" is a term of endearment among Arabic-speaking women.

there are not many of them but they still need to be appreciated so here are some afro-iraqis #TheHabibatiTag

Lebanese, Queer and Proud ! #TheHabibatiTag

People from the Middle East, North Africa, and Arab countries started using the tag to show that beauty is not limited to Western standards.

Another one (Iraqi/Kurd) #TheHabibatiTag

Proud Iraqi/Irani & my before and after just to say I did it. ☺️💘 #TheHabibatiTag

#TheHabibatiTag 1/2 Lebanese 1/2 Palestinian full cute

Speaking to BBC News, Mahmoud said "the only representation we get as Middle Easterners and North Africans in the media is when an act of hate or terror occurs."

everyone's fav gay muslim coming at ya live #TheHabibatiTag 💃🏽

#TheHabibatiTag 🇩🇿 algerian

#TheHabibatiTag 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸

"Growing up I never saw a woman who looked like me on TV," she said. "And because of that, I felt like I wasn't beautiful."

#TheHabibatiTag 1/2 Lebanese 1/2 Moroccan whats good?

im not 100% arab so i feel like im ruining this tag, buuut this is me & im albanian turkish & saudi😛 #TheHabibatiTag

im way too late for this but here's your turkish girl 😝🇹🇷#TheHabibatiTag

BuzzFeed News has reached out to Mahmoud for comment.

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