Karma From ‘Love Is Blind, Habibi’ is the Representation of Arab Women We All Needed

Karma is NOT a b***

Karma on Netflix’s Love is Blind, Habibi is a breath of fresh air: an Arab woman on screen who defies the overplayed portrayals we’ve seen for years. For too long, media has boxed Arab women into two extremes– either “mysterious” and exoticized, or repressed and lacking agency. Karma dismantles these tired narratives, emerging as a woman who’s empowered, independent, and unafraid to choose her own path, even when it means letting go of a relationship that doesn’t embrace her fully.

Her brief relationship with Syrian cosmetic dentist Ammar is a perfect example of this dynamic, while exposing the kind of cultural double standards that so many Arab women face in real life. Here’s a man who claims to value traditional ideals and expects his partner to fit within those limits. Yet, he’s not drawn to a partner who shares those values. Instead, he chooses Karma– a successful and driven professional dancer. Rather than respecting her passion for dancing as part of who she is, Ammar sets out to change her, delivering a clear ultimatum: if they are to be together, she would need to give up dancing. This dynamic is all too familiar, highlighting a contradiction many ambitious Arab women encounter: men who say they want a “traditional” partner, but are instead drawn to successful women with confidence and independence– so long as it doesn’t threaten their own sense of control. The couple, who initially bonded over their shared love of music, parted ways after Ammar made it clear he wasn’t going to attend any of Karma’s dance performances.

The hypocrisy runs even deeper when we consider how openly Karma calls out Ammar’s double standards. At one point, Ammar makes it clear that he finds dancing inappropriate, yet he’s perfectly comfortable flaunting his own topless body on camera. The 30-year-old Tunisian doesn’t hesitate to point out this contradiction, shedding light on the often unspoken rule many Arab women face: modesty and cultural expectations seem to apply only selectively. In many cases, men feel entitled to freedom and self-expression, while expecting women to maintain a specific, restricted image. “Do the beliefs you hold apply to everyone in your view? Or do they apply only to you and not to us? For example you appeared topless in front of the camera and looked amazing. Is this acceptable for you and not for a girl to dance?” she asked her former fiancé during their face-to-face meeting at the cast’s reunion.

Unfortunately, Ammar isn’t an anomaly. This double standard is deeply ingrained in the cultural dynamics of gender in the Arab world, where societal expectations around honor, modesty, and reputation weigh heavily on women. Men often feel free to stretch these boundaries, assuming that it won’t have the same repercussions for them (and it often doesn’t.) Karma’s refusal to accept the idea that women must play by a different set of rules challenges a system that too often allows men to have it both ways.

I can’t help but liken Karma’s story to the journey of Hannah Neeleman–more commonly known as “Ballerina Farm” to her millions of followers– an American social media personality and former dancer, who was accepted into the Juilliard School– a dance program that only accepts around 12 dancers a year, making it one of the hardest programs to get into. However, she turned down this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because her now-husband wanted a “trad” wife. While Ballerina Farm’s choice was her own, it reflects the pervasive expectation that women should be willing to sacrifice their ambitions for the sake of their partner’s preferences. Karma chose a different path, choosing herself and her passion for dance over a relationship that couldn’t accept her fully. It’s a powerful message to Arab women, one that shows that being true to yourself doesn’t mean betraying your culture or values.

And as if that wasn’t enough to make us all absolutely fall in love with Karma, there was the hotly-anticipated Love Is Blind, Habibi reunion episode that dropped on the streaming platform on Nov. 2. When Nour found herself under attack from several male cast members, namely Chafic, Mido, Ammar, and Simo, Karma was the first to step up, and defend her before anyone else–including the hosts, who intervened only after Karma proved herself to be the ultimate girl’s girl. Breaking the silence that often surrounds women facing public criticism, especially in the presence of men, Karma rejected the unspoken rule that women should simply “keep the peace,” showing instead that they have every right to defend themselves and each other. Turns out, Karma isn’t such a b**** after all.

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