Amina Khalil photographed by Shahira Zaki for the September 2017 issue of Vogue Arabia
“Yes, I’m not perfect,” writes Amina Khalil in her latest Instagram post. “Yes, I have love-handles or a muffin-top, or whatever it’s called nowadays.”
In a heartfelt open letter to the media and society at large who have criticized her body, the Egyptian actress shared a non-edited image of herself from the closing ceremony of the 2018 El Gouna Film Festival to reveal that she is (gasp!) a normal human being with curves — and she is perfectly fine with that.
“Yes, I don’t eat much the day I know I’ll be wearing a crop-top that night. And yes, I come home post crop-top and have sandwich gebna say7a or maybe even a Quarter Pounder! But you know what — so does everyone else.” She goes on to suggest that these are things that most women do, regardless of whether they’re a superstar actor or not. “And those midnight snacks standing in the kitchen surrounded by girls doing the exact same thing, make me feel normal,” Khalil continues. “Because we are all normal human beings. And that’s the way it should be.” The 29-year-old goes on to suggest that she isn’t ashamed to admit any of this and that she actually cherishes those moments. “Because I wouldn’t trade those moments for anything. Because the laughter or jokes or gossip sessions I’ve had during those midnight snacks make me have a life. And I love them. And what better way to remember the last year of my twenties than moments that make you laugh until your stomach hurts, or until barabeer comes out of your nose? (C’mon we’ve all been there!?)”
This is not the first time that Khalil has taken a stand against critics. The actress has spent much of her time speaking out against body shaming, most recently in the September 2017 issue of Vogue Arabia, where she revealed that many directors and film producers have tried to persuade her to undergo cosmetic surgery to make her nose smaller. The actress, who has learned to embrace her features and feel comfortable in her skin, revealed, “There are only two instances in which I support plastic surgery. One, if a woman feels that it will improve her overall happiness, or if she was born with a birth defect.”
Though the letter is imbued with humor and sarcasm, the message rings loud and clear: “Accept who you are. And accept that we are all different. And accept that there will always be someone better walking that red carpet ahead of you. But what you should accept and truly be – is OK with that,” the Sheikh Jackson actor wrote.
Talking directly to those who may often feel hesitant to embrace themselves, Khalil adds, “Trust that someone in this world will always see you as the most beautiful girl in the world. And that at the end – we are all the same. We are all beautiful souls, occasionally hormonal, sometimes confident, scarcely perfect, but ALWAYS- human. Own it. Nothing shines brighter than confidence.”
She simply concludes the powerful open letter with the hashtags: #quarterpoundersforlife, #loveyourself, #nofilter, #nophotoshop, and #proudlywoman.
