Amena Khan, 34, the first hijab-wearing model to appear in a L'Oréal shampoo advert, has pulled out of the campaign following a backlash over anti-Israel tweets she is alleged to have posted over three years ago.
The tweets, posted in 2014, is said to have called Israel “sinister” and “an illegal state”.
Amena's appearance adorning the hijab in L'Oréal's advert for the Elvive haircare products was considered to challenge traditional mainstream hair advertising. However, the series of tweets posted in 2014 resurfaced, forcing her to step down. The tweets have since been deleted.
One of the tweets mentioned, “U repeatedly say 'nobody is above the law'. Well, under international law, Israel is an illegal state. Yet u support them. EXPLAIN.”
Another tweet posted was, “Israel = Pharoah. Both are child murderers.”
In another tweet directed at Jon Snow, the Channel 4 news presenter, she allegedly wrote, “Your 'children of Gaza' piece was incredibly moving. Israel is a sinister state & the ones who suffer most are innocent children.”
Amena has apologised for her tweets. “I deeply regret the content of the tweets I made in 2014... championing diversity is one of my passions. I don't discriminate against anyone. I have chosen to delete them as they do not represent the message of harmony that I stand for. I recently took part in a campaign, which excited me because it celebrated inclusivity. With deep regret, I've decided to step down because the current conversations surrounding it detract from the positive and inclusive sentiment that it set out to deliver.”
