Iraqi authorities on Saturday were investigating the killing of a well-known social media influencer, who was shot by a motorcyclist in front of her home in central Baghdad. Ghufran Mahdi Sawadi, known as Um Fahad, was popular on TikTok and Instagram, where she posted videos of herself dancing to music and was followed by tens of thousands of users. An Iraqi security official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media, said the assailant opened fire as Sawadi parked her Cadillac in front of her house on Friday, killing her, then took her phone and fled, the AP reports.
The slaying took place in Zayoona, the neighborhood where prominent Iraqi researcher and security expert Hisham al-Hashimi was shot to death in 2020. Before the US invasion of 2003, the neighborhood was home to military leaders and considered a prestigious area in Baghdad. In recent years, many militia leaders have taken up residence there. A neighbor of Sawadi's who identified himself only by his nickname, Abu Adam, or "father of Adam," said he came out to the street after hearing two shots, He said he saw "the car's door open and she was lying on the steering wheel." Security forces then arrived, took the body, and sealed off the area, he said.
In Iraq, the role of social media influencers has broadened from promoting beauty products and clothing to government projects and programs, per the AP. Official government invitations classify influencers as key business figures at sports, security, and cultural gatherings. Last year, an Iraqi court sentenced Sawadi to six months in prison for posting several films and videos containing obscene statements and indecent public behavior on social media as part of a push by the Iraqi government to police morals.
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