A popular TikTok personality, known as Om Fahad or Ghufran Sawadi, was brutally killed outside her residence in Baghdad, Iraq. The assailant, whose identity remains unknown, executed the act while disguised as a food delivery courier.
On the fateful day, an unidentified individual on a motorcycle approached Sawadi’s car parked in the Zayouna district. Security footage later revealed by local media showed the perpetrator approaching the influencer’s SUV on foot and opening fire before fleeing the scene.
“A horrifying incident of violence unfolded as a well-liked TikTok personality, Ghufran Sawadi, was shot dead outside her home.”
The concerning incident has led Iraq’s interior ministry to set up an investigative team. Arrests are yet to be made.
Sawadi, better known as Om Fahad, rose to fame through her light-hearted TikTok videos. Dancing to Iraqi music and donning form-fitting attire, she quickly amassed nearly half a million followers. Her content, while entertaining, was seen as controversial in the conservative Iraqi society.
Sawadi’s unfortunate demise has left a deep impact on her enormous fan base, reminding us of the harsh realities of the world we live in.
Ghufran Sawadi was embroiled in a public feud with another prominent social media influencer, Dalia Naeem, notoriously known as the “Iraqi Barbie”. The conflict between the two escalated recently, with Naeem threatening to expose Sawadi’s alleged secret relationships with high-ranking Iraqi officials.
In 2023, Sawadi was sentenced to six months in prison for sharing “videos containing indecent speech that undermines modesty and public morality.” She was not the only one facing legal repercussions; five other Iraqi content creators were sentenced last year for similar content violations.
The Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor expressed concern over the Iraqi authorities’ crackdown on content creators. They voiced their concerns over the vague charges that led to the restriction of natural rights.
“The detention and conviction of several social media content creators on vague charges that do not justify the restriction of natural rights is extremely concerning.”
Last year, the Iraqi government initiated a campaign aimed at cleaning up social media content that allegedly breached Iraqi “morals and traditions.” They established an interior ministry committee to inspect platforms like TikTok and YouTube for potentially offensive content.
Several influencers have been arrested since the initiation of this campaign.
Although Iraq has seen years of war and sectarian conflict, it has regained a semblance of normality since the United States invasion in 2003. However, civil liberties, especially for women, sexual minorities, and other groups, remain limited in the conservative society.
In 2018, another influencer, Tara Fares, was tragically shot dead by gunmen in Baghdad.
The tragic demise of Ghufran Sawadi is a stark reminder that the fight for freedom of expression, especially within the digital space, is far from over. The incident has sparked outrage among supporters of digital content creators worldwide, calling for stricter regulations to ensure the safety of individuals expressing themselves online.
