The 36-year-old influencer Salma Naddaf reportedly left Denmark over her opposition to the rainbow flag and has returned to her homeland, Syria, according to a report by the Swedish tabloid Expressen. Naddaf first arrived in Denmark as a refugee in 2014. At the time, Syria was ruled by the Assad regime; in December 2024 the dictator was toppled, yet the security situation in the country remains unstable.
“My children should not grow up in a place whose customs and traditions do not resemble ours,” the influencer explained in a video about her decision. She cited rainbow flags displayed at Danish schools as the trigger. “I could not tolerate that my children grow up like this.” She added that she is relocating back to Syria for their future.
“I have learned to be tolerant”
At the same time, she says she is grateful for her time in Europe. “I have learned to be tolerant—toward all people, regardless of ethnicity or religion,” she claimed. But her tolerance apparently did not extend to queer people.
Naddaf has been an influencer on social media since 2019, focusing on home decor and lifestyle — delivering content exclusively in Arabic. On YouTube she has 1.2 million followers, on Instagram two million, and on TikTok roughly three million. However, her engagement rate is relatively low; she has a large audience but not an above-average level of interaction per post.
In Syria, homosexuality is illegal and can officially be punished with up to three years in prison. Gay Syrian authors report experiences of violence and a harsh atmosphere even within the queer community (TheColu.mn reported).
