Tik Tok videos and Instagram accounts have been awash with viral content of the Iranian women smashing, dumping, and burning their cosmetics. This anger stems from a rising wave of Huda Beauty boycotts, which was triggered by social media actions of the brand founder, Huda Kattan, in recent times.
The beauty mogul has been accused by critics of being on the same page with the Iranian government, something she has passionately refuted and as she explains, her position is on foreign intervention not on the regime.
What Triggered the Huda Beauty boycott?
The scandal started when Huda Kattan repinned a video in her Instagram stories. The video depicted demonstrators in support of the government of Iran in Tehran burning pictures of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump and Reza Pahlavi, the son of the overthrown Shah who is currently in exile.
This repost was understood by many Iranians as a promotion of the Islamic Republic. Opponents claimed that Kattan was repeating government propaganda and did not mention the fatal crackdowns on anti-government demonstrations in the nation.
Huda Kattan’s Response
Kattan responded with a set of video messages to make her stand clear after a severe backlash. She said, I am transparently not pro-regime, but I am not aware enough about the regime. I have heard a good many different things.
Kattan drew parallels between the current situation in Iran and her home country, Iraq. She emphasized that her views are shaped by the devastating aftermath of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.
- On Regime Change: “I’m not going to go on here saying, ‘Yes, let’s create regime change’… I have had that situation happen in my country, and it still hurts.”
- On US Intervention: She said, America and Israel have not done anything good in the Middle East, and that the outside intervention usually leaves countries in shambles.
Kattan is a strong advocate of Palestinians, but he differentiated between the war in Gaza and the situation in Iran. Her depiction of the unrest in Iran was internal but she perceives the Palestine case as oppression by a nation to another nation.
Such a difference was harshly criticised by other activists such as influential creator Yeganeh who contended that it was possible to be anti-imperialist, but not ignore the existence of a human rights violation perpetrated by the Iranian government against the Iranian people itself.
Huda Beauty boycott Public Reaction:
The Huda Beauty boycott has split the internet.
- The Critics: Many are urging retailers like Sephora to drop the brand, sharing videos of destroying expensive Huda Beauty palettes.
- The Supporters: Others defended Kattan, agreeing that as an Iraqi-American, she has a valid reason to be wary of western calls for regime change. One user noted, “It is wild to me that people are trying to boycott her… over her concerns about the USA and Israel.”
