Four female beauty activist have been murdered in Iraq since mid-August: #TaraFares, Soad al-Ali, Rafif al-Yasseri and Rasha al-Hassan. See details below

Dr Rafif al-Yasiri

She is popularly known as the Barbie of Iraqi. The 33 year old is a cosmetic expert and a trained beauty surgeon. She owns a beauty place- Barbie Clinic where Iraqi women could come and enjoy a wide range of beauty treatments: – Botox, laser hair removal, skin fillers, and a host of other beauty treatments

She died in her home under mysterious circumstances. Though there was an autopsy to ascertain the cause of her death, Iraqi interior minister said she died as a result of the drugs she was taken, though her relatives were doubtful. They suspected foul play and criminal cover up

She was well known and influential hence her burial processions attracted a large crowd. Hundreds of people marched the streets to pay their respects, burn candles and drop flowers at her home

She was killed on the 16 August 2018

Rasha al-Hassan:

She is the owner and manager of Viola beauty center in Iraq Baghdad.  Just one week after the death of Dr Rafiq Al Yasiri, Rasha al Hassan also died mysteriously in her home.

Her death raised questions and aroused suspicions about a systematic targeting of beauty center’ owners.  Till date the course of her death has not been revealed

She is a devout Muslim who almost always wore a headscarf, but that did not stop her from being truly beautiful and glamorous In her last Facebook post al-Hassan wrote:

On the morning of Eid prepare your congratulations, write your prayers, prepare for a great day and may karim hear prayers and open the gates of heaven. May Allah not let his smell be absent only and have written mercy, pardon, forgiveness and atiq of fire 💗 ‘

Tara Fares, 22

It’s her death that brought international outrage and spotlight to the high profile female killings in Iraq. She was the country’s best known social media figures and more than 2.7 million people on her Instagram account where she posted photos of herself in daring outfits.

She was shot three times at the wheel of her Porsche convertible while driving in central Baghdad on Thursday.

Her killers are unknown but many of her fans on social media said they believed she had been targeted by religious fanatics who wanted to stop Iraqi women freely expressing themselves.

Ms Fares seemed to be aware that she was a potential target of extremists.

In an Instagram post in July she wrote: “It does not frighten me that there are those who reject the existence of God. What really frightens me is there are those who kill and slaughter to prove the existence of God.”

Soad al-Ali

Though not a beauty influencer, but she was a human Rights activists.  This week, Masked gunmen have shot dead the mother of four, outside a supermarket in Basra, Iraq’s southern city wracked by violent protest

A police official said Soad al-Ali, 46, who has been involved in organizing protests demanding better services in the city, was killed instantly. Ali’s husband was wounded and was being treated in a hospital. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday’s attack.