L’Oreal hijabi model quits campaign over ‘Anti-Israel’ tweets

CAIRO - 25 January 2018: Amena Khan, British beauty blogger and L’Oreal’s first hijab-wearing model, has stepped down from the new L’Oreal ad campaign amid criticism and backlash regarding some of her old tweets from 2014. The tweets were seen as an expression of anti-Israel sentiments.

She announced on her official Instagram account that she would step down from the campaign, stating, “With deep regret, I’ve decided to step down from this campaign because the current conversations surrounding it detract from the positive and inclusive sentiment it set out to deliver.” She added, “Championing diversity is one of my passions, I don’t discriminate against anyone.”

A post shared by Amena (@amenaofficial) on Jan 22, 2018 at 4:24am PST

A spokesperson for L'Oreal Paris said to Newsbeat, "We have recently been made aware of a series of tweets posted in 2014 by Amena Khan, who was featured in a UK advertising campaign. We appreciate that Amena has since apologized for the content of these tweets and the offence they have caused,” adding that "L'Oreal Paris is committed to tolerance and respect towards all people. We agree with her decision to step down from the campaign."

The L’Oréal Paris Elvive commercial in which she starred, showed men and women speaking up about their opinion on their hair and hair care. Khan is seen addressing all women about self-care for their hair, by stating, “Whether or not your hair is on display it doesn’t affect how much you care about it,” she continued, “hair is a women’s beauty. Make sure that you look after it.”

This is seen as part of a trend towards the right direction for the beauty industry. In the past year, modest fashion has been wildly successful hand in hand with diverse representation.