BAGHDAD – Iraqi social media star Om Fahad, aka Ghufran Sawadi, was tragically killed outside her home in the country’s capital Baghdad.
Reports in international media suggest an attack by a motorbike-borne unidentified gunman who sprayed bullets at her as Om was leaving her house.
Her tragic killing sparked huge outroar on social media while Iraqi interior ministry has launched an investigation into her murder.
Iraqi social media star ‘Influencer’ Om Fahad has been assassinated by Iranian militias of the Hashd Al Shaabi (PMF) today in Baghdad (Iraq)
She didn’t engage in politics or similar but was often attacked by these factions for her ‚liberal lifestyle‘
Enraging: her social… pic.twitter.com/6nOGV5twZL
— ScharoMaroof (@ScharoMaroof) April 26, 2024
Fahad got popular on TikTok for her dance videos, but she faced legal troubles in recent years for content deemed to be against public morality.
She was also at odds with another Iraqi social media star, Dalia Naeem, as latter had been threatening to expose Fahad’s alleged relationship with high-ranking Iraqi officials, per reports.
Last year, Om Fahad was sentenced to six months in jail for posting bold videos that violated public morality. Iraqi officials started crackdown on social media content considered to be against Iraqi morals and traditions, leading to the establishment of an interior ministry committee to monitor platforms like TikTok and YouTube for offensive material.
Several TikTok stars were held as part of this campaign and were later released.
