The hijab-wearing shampoo model that recently earned L’Oreal praise for “making history” has stepped down from her role after her anti-Israel tweets from 2014 surfaced on the internet.
As MRCTV previously reported, L’Oreal Paris hired Amena Khan to be part of their Elvive World of Care Campaign, despite the fact that Khan covers her hair in a hijab. The move was quickly praised for its inclusivity—until Khan’s old tweets about Israel came to light.
The tweets in question reportedly refer to Israel as an “illegal state,” a “sinister state,” and “child murderers”:
Amena Khan was chosen by @LOrealParisUK to model for the company’s newest hair product campaign. However, a search of Khan’s Twitter account raises questions about the appropriateness of making her the face of the new campaign. Khan frequently espouses anti-Israel views. pic.twitter.com/ynMQ7dfjXJ
— Aisha Murtad (@UmmAlMumineen) January 19, 2018
After the tweets were unearthed, Khan posted on Twitter that she regrets her tweets about Israel. She said she chose to delete the tweets “as they do not represent the message of harmony” that she allegedly believes. Khan also announced that she was stepping down from the campaign “because of the current conversations surrounding” her tweets:
— Amena (@amenaofficial) January 22, 2018
A representative from L’Oreal told the Jerusalem Post, “We appreciate that Amena has since apologized for the content of these tweets and the offense they have caused.”
“L’Oreal Paris is committed to tolerance and respect toward all people. We agree with her decision to step down from the campaign,” the representative continued.
Khan’s decision to step down from the L’Oreal campaign because of her criticism of Israek comes just days after fellow Muslim beauty blogger Amani al-Khatahtbeh refused to accept Revlon’s Changemaker Award because Gal Gadot is Israeli and served in the Israeli Defense Forces.