Bella Hadid: I didn’t intend to insult Saudi Arabia or the UAE

Palestinian-American supermodel Bella Hadid yesterday apologised after fans in the Middle East were insulted by a picture she posted on her Instagram story.

On Sunday Hadid posted a picture of her shoes while in an airport. The sole of her boot was facing UAE and Saudi airplanes, an offensive gesture in Arab culture, with the caption "anotha one". She came under fire from fans who thought she was insulting the kingdom and the Emirates as a result of their actions in Sudan. Social media users aired their displeasure by launching the hashtag #BellaHadidIsRacist.

However in length posts on Twitter and Instagram today, in both English and Arabic, Hadid explained that the story had "nothing to do with politics" and that she didn't mean to "disrespect these airlines, let alone these amazing countries."

Emphasising pride in her own Arab heritage, she expressed her love for "the great Middle East" and clarified that her intention has only been to "spread love and the true beauty of [Middle Eastern countries]". She concluded by pledging to "be more responsible when bringing awareness to all causes."

this was an honest mistake on an early morning… never, ever would I intentionally try to offend anyone like that. I am so sorry ..❤️

— Bella Hadid (@bellahadid) June 17, 2019

READ: Gigi Hadid's brother releases music video filmed in Palestine

Bella Hadid has constantly used her almost 25 million followers on social media platforms to raise awareness about pressing global issues. Last week, she posted on Instagram about the Sudanese protests.

View this post on Instagram

This needs to be heard. By EVERYONE… The internet in Sudan has been blacked and blocked out in efforts to keep this vital and cruel information from the rest of the world. It makes my heart so heavy to think about the men and women in Sudan, being beaten, murdered, raped, and oppressed like this. Human beings. They are just like me and you. They want to live a good life, with their families and not be punished because of that. Nobody deserves this kind of torture and we need to show Sudan that we are here for the them and aware of the changes that need to happen. Women are being raped with their underwear publicly hung in the streets. Men being shot at with guns and not able to defend themselves…Children without their parents ..It really breaks my heart to think about that. This is happening in our world RIGHT now and we can not silence ourselves. This needs to get the attention that the people of Sudan deserve. I will be adding some websites to my story on how we can help. Donating or even just raising awareness helps, and if we all come together; we can make a difference. We love you and hear you Sudan. 😔💔 This is not to blame anyone , this is to only help those in need. I love everyone in this world , we need to work together.

A post shared by Bella 🦋 (@bellahadid) on Jun 13, 2019 at 8:54am PDT

Hadid has also been outspoken about Palestine, attending a protest in London and taking to Instagram when US President Donald Trump unilaterally declared Jerusalem Israel's undivided capital in December 2017.

View this post on Instagram

💔I've been waiting to put this into perfect words but I realized there is no perfect way to speak of something so unjust. A very very sad day.Watching the news and seeing the pain of the Palestinian people makes me cry for the many many generations of Palestine. Seeing the sadness of my father, cousins, and Palestinian family that are feeling for our Palestinian ancestors makes this even harder to write. Jerusalem is home of all religions. For this to happen, I feel, makes us take 5 steps back making it harder to live in a world of peace. The TREATMENT of the Palestinian people is unfair, one-sided and should not be tolerated. I stand with Palestine. There is no hate against anyone… There are no sides… All religions living side by side.. Now it is Just one man..it has always been a factor of trying to bring peace… Where is the hope..?

A post shared by Bella 🦋 (@bellahadid) on Dec 7, 2017 at 7:55am PST

Bella Hadid: I didn't intend to insult Saudi Arabia or the UAE

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