Why Zayn, Gigi’s breakup hits fans

Fans of Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik (known more commonly as Zayn) woke up to ‘shocking news’ this morning: that the couple had broken up, according to reports from websites like TMZ, and that Zayn had allegedly physically assaulted Gigi’s mother, Yolanda Hadid.

The split caused more heartache than a “Brangelina” or “Bennifer” breakup — at least for millennial Muslims who have been ardent supporters of Gigi and Zayn’s relationship, however unconventional it may have been by traditional Muslim standards, reported foreign media.

Ever since One Direction emerged on the music scene through ‘X Factor’ more than a decade ago, I was a fan of Zayn (though I confess I haven’t heard much of his recent music). In an industry largely void of Muslim representation, here was a brown-skinned musician with Bradford roots who was raised Muslim (though he told British ‘Vogue’ in 2018 that he no longer identified as a practicing member of the religion).

He had an Arabic name, he wished his fans “Eid Mubarak” and he occasionally sung in Urdu. Suffice to say, he instantly won the hearts of Muslim girls across the globe. I recall sleeping over at my cousin’s home soon after One Direction shot to fame, both of us wishfully lovestruck as we stared at the poster of Zayn on her closet door.

When reports started surfacing in 2015 that Zayn was dating half-Palestinian supermodel Gigi Hadid, the pairing couldn’t have been more perfect for Muslim fans of the two celebrities. In fact, the sheer fact that they had Muslim backgrounds is what drew many of their Muslim fans to them in the first place. Images of the couple ‘celebrating Eid’ in cultural clothes and claims like “he has read the Quran three times” (as Zayn’s mother, Trisha Malik, told the BBC) were enough to win Muslim fans the world over.

Over the years, some Muslims have obsessively indulged in their fandom of “Zigi” (the nickname many use for the couple); numerous Islamic blogs and forums digest the behaviors and activities of the two celebrities in attempts to prove their “Muslimness.”

Many perceived the couple’s life to be picture-perfect. However, that bubble burst yesterday, with news of their apparent abrupt breakup and the assault allegations. Fans across the globe are devastated, but those who are Muslim are even more deeply impacted, their vision of this ideal, glamorized Muslim-ish couple now shattered.