A popular social media influencer was fatally shot outside her home in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Friday.
According to a statement from the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, the TikTok star known as Om Fahad, whose real name was Ghufran Sawadi, was killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire on her vehicle. Footage circulated by Al Sharqiya news outlet showed a shooter on a motorcycle carrying out the attack in the eastern Baghdad neighborhood of Zayne, gunning down Om Fahad.
The Interior Ministry said a dedicated team has been formed to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death. An Iraqi security source told AFP the assailant allegedly posed as a food delivery person to target the victim. Reports also indicated another woman may have been injured in the incident.
One report said that Iranian extremist outfit Hashd Al Shaabi (PMF) was behind the attack.
A well-known Iraqi social media personality, known as Om Fahad, met a tragic end when she was fatally shot while in her car by a motorbike-riding assailant.
Om Fahad, whose real name is Ghufran Sawadi, was killed outside her residence in Baghdad's Zayouna district on Friday. pic.twitter.com/jsVxtkkO4E
— Afrisphere Insight (@AfriInsight) April 27, 2024
Om Fahad gained a huge following by posting videos of herself dancing provocatively and moving to Iraqi pop tunes, amassing millions of fans. However, her content drew a backlash from Iraq’s conservative Muslim society. In February 2023, she was sentenced to six months in jail for sharing videos deemed offensive and indecent.
A CNN report said Alsaffar, who had over 370,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, posted short videos about fashion, hair, and makeup, also often dancing to music. Following news of the shooting, many posted comments lamenting Alsaffar’s death, though others applauded it, celebrating the man who fired the shot.
Separately, the U.S. State Department issued a stern rebuke against a new Iraqi law passed on Saturday criminalizing same-sex relationships with potential 15-year prison sentences. In a statement, the State Department declared the law threatens fundamental human rights and freedoms in Iraq.
“This amendment threatens those most at risk in Iraqi society. It can be used to hamper free speech and expression and inhibit the operations of NGOs across Iraq,” the statement read. The State Department warned the legislation could weaken Iraq’s ability to diversify its economy and attract foreign investment.
Human rights advocates condemned the new law as the latest attack on the LGBTQ community in the deeply conservative Muslim-majority nation.
