Social Media Influencer Um Fahad Shot Dead in Central Baghdad: Neighbor Witnesses Crime in Prestigious Neighborhood
A popular Iraqi social media influencer, Ghufran Mahdi Sawadi, also known as Um Fahad, was shot and killed by an armed motorcyclist in front of her home in central Baghdad on Friday.
Sawadi, who had tens of thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram, was known for posting videos of herself dancing to music.
The assailant opened fire as Sawadi parked her Cadillac and took her phone before fleeing the scene.
The incident occurred in Zayoona neighborhood, where a prominent Iraqi researcher and security expert, Hisham Al-Hashimi, was killed in 2020.
Iraqi authorities are currently investigating the case.
A prominent social media figure, identified as Sawadi, was shot and killed in her car in a once prestigious neighborhood of Baghdad, which is now home to militia leaders.
This is not the first high-profile shooting in central Baghdad; last year, another social media figure named Noor Alsaffar was also fatally shot.
A neighbor, who identified himself as Abu Adam, reported hearing two gunshots and finding Sawadi lying on the steering wheel of her car.
The area was sealed off by security forces, who took the victim's body and towed the car away.
In Iraq, social media influencers have expanded their influence beyond promoting consumer goods to participating in government projects and events.
The Ministry of Defense invites these influencers to important gatherings, categorizing them as key business figures.
However, a video featuring an influencer at a military site during the Iraqi Air Force's anniversary celebration sparked criticism, with many objecting to the ministry's decision to allow influencers to record and share content from sensitive sites.
The ministry defended its actions, stating that it utilizes influencers, along with traditional media, to engage with the public in the social media age.
An Iraqi court sentenced a man named Sawadi to six months in prison for sharing obscene content on social media.
This is part of the Iraqi government's efforts to enforce moral codes.
Separately, the Iraqi parliament passed an amendment to the prostitution law, which now punishes same-sex relations with 10 to 15 years in prison, a change from the previous version that imposed the death penalty.
The assailant opened fire as Sawadi parked her Cadillac and took her phone before fleeing the scene.
The incident occurred in Zayoona neighborhood, where a prominent Iraqi researcher and security expert, Hisham Al-Hashimi, was killed in 2020.
Iraqi authorities are currently investigating the case.
A prominent social media figure, identified as Sawadi, was shot and killed in her car in a once prestigious neighborhood of Baghdad, which is now home to militia leaders.
This is not the first high-profile shooting in central Baghdad; last year, another social media figure named Noor Alsaffar was also fatally shot.
A neighbor, who identified himself as Abu Adam, reported hearing two gunshots and finding Sawadi lying on the steering wheel of her car.
The area was sealed off by security forces, who took the victim's body and towed the car away.
In Iraq, social media influencers have expanded their influence beyond promoting consumer goods to participating in government projects and events.
The Ministry of Defense invites these influencers to important gatherings, categorizing them as key business figures.
However, a video featuring an influencer at a military site during the Iraqi Air Force's anniversary celebration sparked criticism, with many objecting to the ministry's decision to allow influencers to record and share content from sensitive sites.
The ministry defended its actions, stating that it utilizes influencers, along with traditional media, to engage with the public in the social media age.
An Iraqi court sentenced a man named Sawadi to six months in prison for sharing obscene content on social media.
This is part of the Iraqi government's efforts to enforce moral codes.
Separately, the Iraqi parliament passed an amendment to the prostitution law, which now punishes same-sex relations with 10 to 15 years in prison, a change from the previous version that imposed the death penalty.
Translation:
Translated by AI
