Ascia Al Faraj for Rimmel London
Ascia Al Faraj for Rimmel London
Ascia Al Faraj for Rimmel London
Ascia Al Faraj for Rimmel London

Watch: Ascia Al Faraj calls out cyberbullies through I Will Not Be Deleted campaign


Panna Munyal
  • English
  • Arabic

"Hearing that I don't look Arab is so hard, because I identify as Arab. To be ostracised for my look – for not being 'Arab enough' – that sucks," says an emotional Ascia Al Faraj in her I Will Not Be Deleted video story for Rimmel London.

The 134-year-old cosmetics brand has launched a campaign with the same name to coincide with Anti-Bullying Week, roping in the Kuwaiti model and fashion blogger alongside global ambassadors Rita Ora and Cara Delevingne.

Unlike the bullies that many of us come across in the playground or indeed the boardroom, cyberbullying is another animal altogether. Once posted, the harsh and judgemental words, sometimes threats, employed by largely faceless individuals are forever out there for the world to see, read and comment on. Young women are particularly vulnerable, and often face one of the worst kinds of shaming – for their looks and the way they dress. Rimmel estimates that 55 million women have experienced beauty cyberbullying (see below for more statistics).

“The message I have for young people who are being affected is that you are enough. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says. And you are not alone. We have to stand by each other and think twice before we comment. The comments I have read are heartbreaking and it's terrifying to see what words can do to someone,” says Delevingne. “We really just want to shine a light on the fact that cyberbullying is not okay,” adds Ora.

Cara Delevingne for Rimmel London
Cara Delevingne for Rimmel London

In addition to narrating her own experience with digital intimidators, Al Faraj sends out an important message to her 2.5 million followers. “Give yourself the okay to not be okay. I gave myself a full day and let myself cry. And I told myself that this is the only day that I was to allow people to get to me and that was the last day… now you can leave a comment but I am not going to delete what I put up. I am not going to be deleted… just because you don’t like something.”

For #IWillNotBeDeleted, Rimmel has partnered with The Cybersmile Foundation to tackle all forms of digital abuse. Importantly, the campaign aims to spark a global conversation surrounding beauty cyberbullying by teaming with influencers who have dealt with the issue first-hand, as well as to promote the concept of individual beauty.

As Sara Wolverson, vice president of Rimmel global marketing at Coty, puts it: “[The] purpose is to inspire people to experiment and express themselves... to be their authentic self. We are against narrow definitions of beauty, and people being shamed, judged and criticised because of their looks.”

Key findings from the Rimmel's cyberbullying study

Sample size: 11,000 women

  • 1 in 4 women worldwide have experienced cyberbullying about their looks
  • 115 million images are deleted each year
  • 65% said their confidence has been affected by the bullying
  • 11% of those bullied have experienced it once a month or more.
  • 46% (or around 16.6 million) young women go through eating, alcohol or self-harm issues after being bullied online about their looks
  • Only 44% of women report bullying
  • 57% of those who've been bullied don't tell anyone about their experience
  • 51% say bullying has stopped them experimenting with their look or the way they dress

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Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

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If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.

Greed

Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.

Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.

Fear

The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.

Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.

Hope

While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.

Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.

Frustration

Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.

Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.

Boredom

Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.

Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.

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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

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The studios taking part (so far)
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  2. Vogue Fitness 
  3. Sweat
  4. Bodytree Studio
  5. The Hot House
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Catchweight 67kg Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR) v Fouad Mesdari (ALG)

Lighweight Abdullah Mohammed Ali (UAE) v Abdelhak Amhidra (MAR)

Catchweight 73kg Mostafa Ibrahim Radi (PAL) v Yazid Chouchane (ALG)

Middleweight Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) v Badreddine Diani (MAR)

Catchweight 78kg Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Adnan Bushashy (ALG)

Middleweight Sallaheddine Dekhissi (MAR) v Abdel Emam (EGY)

Catchweight 65kg Rachid Hazoume (MAR) v Yanis Ghemmouri (ALG)

Lighweight Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Azouz Anwar (EGY)

Catchweight 79kg Omar Hussein (PAL) v Souhil Tahiri (ALG)

Middleweight Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Laid Zerhouni (ALG)

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1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat