Iman Meskini (born 3 March 1997) is a Norwegian actress.[1] She is best known for playing the role of Sana Bakkoush in the teen drama series Skam.[2]
Personal life
Meskini grew up in the village of Langhus and identifies as a practicing Muslim.[3] Her mother is from Norway and her father is from Tunisia. She played as a guard for the Høybråten Basketball Club during the 2016–2017 year.[4][5] In 2016, Meskini majored in Arabic and Middle Eastern studies at the University of Oslo.[5] She currently works with Norway's Air Forces. On 12 June 2019, Meskini married Mourad Jarrari from Morocco.[6][7]
Meskini became known for her role as Sana Bakkoush from Julie Andem's teen web series's Skam, which is broadcast on NRK. Her character status was recurring from seasons 1–3, then later turned to lead in season 4.[8][9]
Reception
Since her first appearance on Skam, and especially since the show's fourth season, in which she served as the primary lead, Sana has gathered a large number of fans. In addition to Sana's popularity, Meskini has been praised for her portrayal of the character and her representation of Muslim youth within Western societies, but especially female Muslim teenagers living in Norway.
Sana's appearance and portrayal on a show as popular as Skam at a time which saw a rise in Islamophobia across the globe was marked by many as essential in challenging stereotypes of hijab-wearing Muslim women and provided non-Muslim Norwegians with an alternative representation of their Muslim neighbours.
^Lisa Dyremyhr Bakke (23 April 2016). "9 ting du kanskje ikke visste om Skam" [9 things you might not know about Shame]. SOL (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
^Pettersen, Josefine Frida; Meskini, Iman; Teige, Lisa; Moe, Tarjei Sandvik (25 September 2015), Skam, archived from the original on 29 December 2021, retrieved 17 May 2017
