Mia Khalifa is a former Lebanese-American pornstar

Mia Khalifa

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Yes we all know this woman.

Mia Khalifa is a former Lebanese-American pornstar. A video of hers, which she wore an islamic headscarf in, sparked outrage in the Middle East, and she even attracted the attention of one of the most dangerous terrorist organizations ever known, ISIS. Mia Khalifa received many death threats from ISIS and those from her home country, claiming that she has bought shame to her home country Lebanon and insulted Islam.

While I understand that what she did was extremely provocative, I don’t think she deserved death threats over it. One women can’t really bring shame to an entire country, I find this claim stupid and uneducated. I also feel that she did disrespect Islam, but so did the Muslims that searched up her name on the internet knowing she was a pornstar.

When Mia Khalifa joined the porn industry, she was a ‘dumb’ 21 year year old (her words not mine) who thought no one could possibly find out , that it would be her ‘dirty little secret’. She didn’t know that she would be the highest ranked pornstar on Pornhub. Mia Khalifa, having had enough of the negative global attention, permanently left the industry 3 months later.

When i saw her bbc HARDtalk (please leave the title alone) it made me feel quite bad for her. She will never become google friendly or truly be respected as an individual, especially in her home country. While she was the one to make the choice to join, i cant help but put myself in her situation. What 21 year old woman wouldn't want to feel validated, beautiful and exotic? And who wouldn’t drool at the promise of fame and wealth? Who doesn't have that dream?

The obvious shame shining from her deep brown eyes was disturbing for me to look at. I felt sorry for this woman.

Looking at it realistically, she will always be remembered as the Arab pornstar who wore a hijab in a porn video, but in my eyes, she deserves a second chance. She deserves to walk outside without feeling like she is being undressed with eyes, she deserves to live without made fun of with internet memes because of her past profession, she deserves a normal life.