When it comes to love and relationships, Arab girls have mastered the art of secrecy like no other, honed by years of evading the prying eyes of nosey relatives who would seize any opportunity to air out your business on the family WhatsApp group chat. In our culture, familial expectations and reputation hold significant weight, and striking a delicate balance between matters of tradition and of the heart requires an unparalleled level of finesse, especially when you have strict or overprotective parents. Thus, discretion becomes not just a preference, but a whole survival instinct. While the notion of forbidden love may seem straight out of a Disney movie for many, for Arab girls, the reality is far from a fairytale. Below, 10 dating struggles only Arab girls can truly relate to. Trigger warning: We apologize in advance for the war flashbacks this list could potentially cause.
Changing his contact name to a girl’s name on your phone
As far as anyone is concerned, it’s Fatima who’s blowing up your phone.
You can never ever post him or your relationship on the ‘Gram.
No soft launches for you. You will just pop out on your Instagram Story randomly married one day.
Making your secret boyfriend park two streets away when he’s picking you up or dropping you off
Or pretending he’s an Uber driver.
Dating him for five years before he dumps you and marries his cousin
This is how you end up in life-long therapy.
That mini heart attack you have when you’re out together and you see a car that’s identical to your parents’ vehicle
We suggest exclusively dating men who have tinted windows.
Talking to him behind locked doors underneath the covers and in a hushed tone
Those heated, whispering arguments hit differently.
Having to act like you’re not utterly devastated and heartbroken around your family after a breakup
Smiling on the outside; shaking, screaming, throwing up on the inside.
Choosing the most off-beat, random spots to go on dates to avoid accidentally running into your older brothers or uncles
It’s not your fault that your dad’s cousin’s best friend’s uncle owns that new sushi spot that just opened up. Look at the bright side— at least you’re out in public together for once instead of having another car date.
Throwing your flowers in the bin
Because if you take them into the house you will get interrogated endlessly about who they’re from.
Pretending like you’ve never seen him in your entire life when he decides to finally ask for your hand
“I hate to say it, I hope I don’t sound ridiculous, I don’t know who this man is. I mean, he could be walking down the street, and I wouldn’t know a thing. Sorry to this man” — Keke Palmer, 2019
Homepage image by Rex Chouk.
