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Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid's done more than just rock the cover of Harper's Bazaar Arabia this month.

In an extensive interview with the magazine, she's opened up about not just the usual questions about her heritage, but also talks about growing up in these superficial times (she's only 21!), the importance of financial independence and whether she's in competition with her sister, model Gigi Hadid.

Here are excerpts:

On Trump's Muslim and refugee travel ban

“He came from Palestine to America when he was a baby,” Bella says of her father, Mohamed Hadid, who is now known for his multimillion-dollar developments in Los Angeles.

“Thankfully, he was able to come, but it was very hard and now it’s probably 100 times harder. It makes me sad that power is getting taken from a lot of people and they’re not able to make a new life for their children and their families. It’s crazy to me that one person can tell you whether or not you can have a better life."

Read on: Bella Hadid says she is proud to be Muslim

On growing up in these superficial times

“It’s really tough,” she says of life as a teenager in today's times.

“You’re going to get scrutinised for anything that you do. So if you’re skinny and have a sick body and you don’t have a butt, people are going to say, ‘Why do you have no butt?’ And then you go and get a fake butt and they get mad at you because you have a fake butt. And then you don’t have boobs, and it’s just a whole circulating circle.”

On the importance of financial independence

Bella says, “I keep working hard, ’cause I think about [my parents] and how far they came and how hard they worked to be able to give us the life that they did. If I just went and sat on my butt I don’t think I would be able to live with myself..."

She continues, "I think that a work ethic is not only one of the most attractive things in a woman, but it’s one of the most humbling things to be a woman and to be completely independent.”

On sisterly competition

When asked whether she considers herself in competition with her sister model Gigi Hadid, Bella explains that "most of the time our markets are completely different."

While Bella tends to bag campaigns with European high-fashion brands like Bulgari, Fendi and Dior Make Up, Gigi’s blonde, all-American look means that she's able to get work closer to home with US brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Maybelline.

“And if we get booked on a job and she gets it or I get it, we’re both happy for each other. There are enough jobs in the world for both of us. There’s no reason for us to be mad at each other or competitive. So if she gets it, then good for her. We’re in the family so she can buy me a pair of shoes,” she laughs.

On growing up Muslim

Bella shares, "[My father] would teach us about [Islam] and we would go and do Eid with my family and we would do Ramadan – I did that since I was a kid. Once I got older I was working and going to school so I couldn’t fast for as long. My dad, he’s so passionate about it, and that’s what kept me very passionate and excited about my roots.”

On her recent Dubai trip

In the UAE, Bella says she loved meeting women of Palestinian heritage. “They’re all kind of like my sisters. We all just clicked. You have a bond I guess. And they’re all so beautiful; incredible make-up, crazy good style. It’s like LA but 10 times chicer and more intense.”