Tara Fares was a model and a social media star whose carefully crafted lifestyle and fashion photos drew in more than 2. On Thursday, she was shot dead at 22 in broad daylight in Baghdad, the latest woman killed in a series of attacks that government officials are investigating as possibly linked.
Some say the recent deaths in Iraq of at least four prominent young women, including Ms. Fares β all of whom were seen as being outspoken or bucking the norms of a conservative society β is a worrying signal of a possibly coordinated campaign to silence them. Others believe the killing of Ms. Fares and the others may just have been random acts of violence in a country where safety is scarce after years of war. He also said in a statement that officials would explore possible links between Ms.
Maamouri said. Maamouri said she believed Ms. Fares traveled in the same social circles as both women. Mohammad Nasir al-Karbouli, a member of Parliament, said attacks like the one on Ms. Fares were intended to send a message. Karbouli said. Fares, who was originally from Baghdad, left the city three years ago to live in Erbil, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, because she felt it was safer, friends said.
Recently, she had begun to spend more time in Baghdad again. In photos on her Instagram account , she pouts and poses for the camera, decked out in wigs, elaborate makeup and close-fitting dresses, her arms covered with a smattering of tattoos. Her YouTube videos, which have garnered hundreds of thousands of views, show her singing along to pop songs, doing makeup tutorials, unwrapping gifts from fans and reviewing restaurants in Erbil. While the videos attracted dozens of comments from supportive fans, they also drew vitriolic messages that mocked or even threatened her.
Fares on Instagram. Sarhan added. Sarhan said she was outraged to see comments left on social media by people trying to justify Ms. Even after her death, Ms. While she was alive, Ms. Fares took the criticism in stride, according to those who knew her. Moner, the photographer, said Ms. Fares was at his studio the day before her death. He said that Ms. Her killing, Mr. Moner said, has created a climate of fear, with many of her friends telling him they are worried they could become targets.
