Dubai: A Jewish Israeli model has been accused of promoting a racist and Islamophobic advertisement.
In the video “Freedom Is Basic”, Bar Refaeli, 33, is seen wearing a niqab that she rips off to reveal an outfit by the Hoodies brand with the song with the lyrics “It’s all about freedom, finally breaking the chains, the cost of my freedom” playing in the background.
The ad was immediately condemned on social media for being “racist”, “ignorant” and “insensitive.”
“This has to be the most ignorant and racist ad I’ve ever seen and I can’t believe a whole company approved this. I’m disgusted and at a loss of words,” Mariam posted.
Hidaya said that the “people who fail to understand how wearing hijab [and niqab] is a choice every Muslim woman makes herself ... the actual oppressors are those who persuade/force women to take it off.”
Haniya said that she was “so sorry that some people did not get to learn the real meaning and beauty of hijab.”
“It might be oppressive for them, but for me and so many other women hijab is a wonderful thing. I wear it. I decided to wear it. No one - not my dad, brother, mother forced me to do it,” she posted.
Nada, another woman, challenged those who wanted her to remove the hijab.
“Freedom for me is hijab. Who are you to take it away from me?” she posted.
