Israeli clothing brand Hoodies is facing heavy backlash over an advert suggesting that a woman attains freedom after taking off her niqab and headscarf.
Earlier this week, Hoodies released a video titled "Freedom is Basic," featuring Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli ripping off her face veil and headscarf.
The ad has sparked outrage among social media users, with many accusing the brand of Islamophobia and "white feminism."
The ad starts off with multiple women wearing face veils, which are worn by a small minority of Muslim women in observance of the concept of modesty.
According to the BBC, an earlier version of the video opened with a caption reading "Is Iran here?" - women in Iran are not required to wear the niqab, though they are legally obliged to cover their hair.
The caption was removed in the alternative version later uploaded on YouTube, which also featured a woman wearing a hijab and a man wearing a skullcap (kippah)
In the video, the Israeli supermodel takes off her niqab and hijab to showcase the brand's clothes, and dances to a song about "freedom" and "breaking the chains." Towards the end of the ad, a voice-over states, "Freedom is basic."
This comes amid widespread controversy surrounding the niqab, with multiple European countries banning it during the past couple of years, including France, Belgium, and Austria.
Earlier this month, Algeria - a Muslim-majority country - banned women working in the public sector from wearing niqabs.
Social media outrage
The advert drew hordes of negative comments, with many social media users criticizing the brand for conflating freedom with removing a religious garment.
Here's how it all went down online:
People are at a loss for words
So many questions arose
"Tone deaf"
"White feminism strikes again"
"It uses the burqa as a symbol of oppression when some women choose to wear it"
It's all about freedom of choice
