Muslim model quits ad campaign after anti-Israeli slurs revealed

L’Oreal supported the British hijab-wearing model’s decision to step down after her anti-Israeli social media activity was revealed.

By: Margot Dudkevitch, World Israel News

Amena Khan, a hijab wearing British model chosen to appear in a campaign for the French cosmetics giant L’Oreal announced she is pulling out of the campaign because of anti-Israeli statements she wrote on her Twitter account in 2014. While she deleted the tweets in question, she reportedly called Israel a “terrorist state” and “child murderers,” describing it as “illegal” and “sinister.” She also accused the Jewish state of committing “torture, rape, murder and genocide.”

Just last week, Khan wrote she had been accepted to appear in the cosmetic company’s hair care campaign and posted a photo wearing a pink colored headscarf with the caption “whether or not your hair is on display, doesn’t affect how much you care about it.”

On Monday, Khan posted an apology on her Twitter account, saying she deeply regrets the statements she made and the upset and hurt they caused. ”With deep regret, I have decided to step down from this campaign because the current conversations surrounding it detract from the positive and inclusive sentiment that it set out to deliver.”

Commenting on the incident, L’Oreal said it approved Khan’s decision. CNN reported a statement released by the company said “we appreciate the fact that Amena has apologized for the content of her tweets and for the reactions they may have aroused. L’Oreal Paris is committed to tolerance and respect towards all people. We agree with her decision to step down from the campaign.”

The cosmetic company reportedly dropped black transgender model Munroe Bergdorf from their campaign last year over alleged comments on Facebook accusing whites of racial violence.