Ghufran Sawadi, an Iraqi social media influencer better known as Umm Fahad, was tragically killed outside her home in Baghdad on Friday night. The incident, which occurred in the Zayouna area to the east of the capital, was captured by a surveillance camera. The footage shows a gunman on a motorcycle shooting Sawadi, leading to her immediate death.
In response to this violent act, Iraq’s Interior Minister announced the formation of a specialized team to investigate the circumstances surrounding Sawadi’s death. Sawadi, a popular figure on TikTok known for her dance videos to pop music, had previously faced legal issues due to the nature of her content. The Iraqi judiciary had sentenced her to six months in prison for what it deemed violations of public decency through “obscene and indecent language” in her videos.
This incident is part of a disturbing trend of attacks on social media personalities in Iraq. For instance, another TikTok influencer, Noor Alsaffar, known as Noor BM, was similarly killed in Baghdad in September 2023. Alsaffar, who had a significant following on Instagram and TikTok, was known for her content related to fashion and beauty.
The killing of Sawadi has reignited concerns about the safety of social media influencers in Iraq, especially those who push the boundaries of cultural norms. It also comes at a time when Iraq has been tightening its crackdown on LGBTQ expressions, moving towards criminalizing such identities in law. The reactions to these killings have been mixed, with some social media comments lamenting the loss while others disturbingly celebrating the acts.
The ongoing violence against social media figures highlights the precarious position of public personalities in regions with stringent cultural and legal constraints. The Iraqi government’s response to these incidents will be closely monitored as calls for justice and protection for influencers grow louder.
