Jordanian Female Body Builder Steps It Up

Arms of steel that make most men blush in utter envy. A temperament that could give even the likes of former Mr. Universe Arnold Schwarzenegger cause to drop and give twenty. Meet Jordanian body-builder Farah Malhass – a woman on a mission.

Ever since she started pumping iron at the age of 20, Malhass has dreamed of becoming a bodybuilding champion with her picture splashed across the walls of gyms around the world.

Covered with tattoos there is nothing typical about Malhass’s appearance, which raises many eyebrows within her own country. Just take the haunting and creepy smiling image of the face that adorns one of her biceps, or the pair of angel wings that bedazzles her back. For Malhass, the physical pain of the tattoo helps alleviate the emotional pain that resides deep within her heart. “Yes, it hurts, but it is therapeutic at the same time because the pain allows me to overcome the inner suffering that eats away at me,” she shared in a recent interview.

Perhaps the pain she talks about stems from criticisms she has faced from those around her, ever since she began her bodybuilding quest. And given her location in the Middle East, it’s not surprising that a swift firestorm has engulfed Malhass almost ever since she began pumping iron.

There is an unfortunate assumption prevalent in the Middle East that Arab women, and women in general, cannot participate in sports and are better suited to tasks revolving around family life. The mere sight of a woman who can bench press most men under the table has no doubt got many a mufti’s kufis all in a bunch!

Malhass looks to be in a prime position to garner international recognition despite the detractors within her own country, and even within her family. Malhass will travel all the way to Canada to participate in an amateur bodybuilding competition this coming September. If she can secure her first win in the ‘figure’ competition, Malhass will be able to move forward and compete in more bodybuilding competitions.

We’re all for it Malhass! Between Malhass, Rima Fakih and Amir Khan, it has been a stellar year for young Muslims in global competitions.

Source: Middle East Online

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