Arab American wins Miss USA 2010

[Meriem_DZ 37]

Arab-American from Michigan crowned 2010 Miss USA

By OSKAR GARCIA, Associated Press Writer Oskar Garcia, Associated Press Writer 23 mins ago

LAS VEGAS – A 24-year-old Arab American from Michigan beat out 50 other women to take the 2010 Miss USA title Sunday night, despite nearly stumbling in her evening gown. Rima Fakih of Dearborn, Mich., won the pageant at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip after strutting confidently in an orange and gold bikini, wearing a strapless white gown that resembled a wedding dress and saying health insurance should cover birth control pills.

When asked how she felt about winning the crown, she said, "Ask me after I've had a pizza."

Fakih, a Lebanese immigrant, told pageant organizers her family celebrates both Muslim and Christian faiths. She moved to the United States as a baby and was raised in New York, where she attended a Catholic school. Her family moved to Michigan in 2003.

Pageant officials said historical pageant records were not detailed enough to show whether Fakih was the first Arab American, Muslim or immigrant to win the Miss USA title. The pageant started in 1952 as a local bathing suit competition in Long Beach, Calif.

Fakih told reporters she sold her car after graduating college in Michigan to help pay for her run in the Miss Michigan USA pageant.

She said she believed she had the title on Sunday after glancing at pageant owner Donald Trump as she awaited the results with the first runner-up, Miss Oklahoma USA Morgan Elizabeth Woolard.

"That's the same look that he gives them when he says, 'You're hired,'" on Trump's reality show "The Apprentice," she said.

"She's a great girl," said Trump, who owns the pageant with NBC in a joint venture.

In a moment that was replayed during the broadcast, Fakih nearly fell while finishing her walk in her gown because of the length of its train. But she made it without a spill and went on to win.

"I did it here, I better not do it at Miss Universe," she said. "Modeling does help, after all."

Fakih replaces Miss USA 2009 Kristen Dalton and won a spot representing the United States this summer in the 2010 Miss Universe pageant. She also gets a one-year lease in a New York apartment with living expenses, an undisclosed salary, and various health, professional and beauty services.

During the interview portion, Fakih was asked whether she thought birth control should be paid for by health insurance, and she said she believed it should because it's costly.

"I believe that birth control is just like every other medication even though it's a controlled substance," Fakih said.

Woolard handled the night's toughest question, about Arizona's new immigration law. Woolard said she supports the law, which requires police enforcing another law to verify a person's immigration status if there's "reasonable suspicion" that the person is in the country illegally.

She said she's against illegal immigration but is also against racial profiling.

"I'm a huge believer in states' rights. I think that's what's so wonderful about America," Woolard said. "So I think it's perfectly fine for Arizona to create that law."

"The Office" actor Oscar Nunez was booed as he asked the question and asked the audience to wait until he finished the question before they reacted. The panel of judges came up with the questions themselves.

Miss Virginia USA Samantha Evelyn Casey was the second runner-up, Miss Colorado USA Jessica Hartman was third runner-up, and Miss Maine USA Katherine Ashley Whittier was the fourth runner-up.

Most of the field of contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia were eliminated just after the pageant began and the entire group danced onstage to "TiK ToK" by Ke$ha.

A panel of eight judges, including NBA star Carmelo Anthony, Treasure Island casino-hotel owner Phil Ruffin and Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir, were judging the girls throughout the night.

After 15 contestants strutted in swimsuits, five were eliminated. Another five were eliminated after the evening gown competition.

Miss Nebraska USA Belinda Renee Wright won the Miss Congeniality award, roughly one week after her father was killed in a farm accident. Miss Alabama USA Audrey Moore won Miss Photogenic after an online fan vote.

The pageant aired live to East Coast viewers on NBC.

The competition, which is not affiliated with the Miss America pageant, was hosted by celebrity chef Curtis Stone and NBC correspondent Natalie Morales.

link to story

Link to photos

[Darnell 8,479]

Wow ! She's a Hottie !!!

[Staashi 371]

I saw her win last night and was very excited for her. I would assume that she's probably the first Arab-American to accomplish this.

[Jenn! 918]

Glad for her, she was very beautiful.

I guess any good publicity for Arab Americans is a good thing. I wish it was for something more notable than winning a beauty pageant though.

[~Jess~ 0]

I was watchin last night and I only started watching near the end but I assumed she was Arab-American before I saw this. Good for her.

[Tunisia216 2]

She's pretty and congrats to her but I agree with you Jenn

[Sandrila 1]

she's absolutely stunning

[Ihavequestions 419]

Glad for her, she was very beautiful.

I guess any good publicity for Arab Americans is a good thing. I wish it was for something more notable than winning a beauty pageant though.

Unfortunately the good publicity as well as her title may be short-lived:

Stripper Pole Pics Of Miss USA Surface

Dearborn Native Rima Fakih Crowned Miss USA

POSTED: Sunday, May 16, 2010

UPDATED: 5:59 pm EDT May 17, 2010

LAS VEGAS -- New pictures are surfacing of Rima Fakih that she may not want out.

WKQI radio station in Detroit had several pictures of the newly crowned Miss USA on their website Monday that showed Fakih doing several stripper poses.

Must See Pics: Stripper Images

Watch: Controversial Photos Of Miss Michigan Pop Up

The 24-year-old Lebanese immigrant beat out 50 other woman in Sunday night's competition, even after almost falling down during the evening gown portion of the show.

Watch: Miss USA Stumbles

She told reporters later that she believed she had won after glancing at pageant owner Trump as she awaited the results with the first runner-up, Miss Oklahoma USA Morgan Elizabeth Woolard.

Images: Miss USA Pagent

"That's the same look that he gives them when he says, 'You're hired,"' on Donald Trump's reality show, she said.

"She's a great girl," said Trump, who owns the pageant with NBC in a joint venture.

Radio personalities said the pictures were from 2007 when Fakih, a graduate of University of Michigan- Dearborn, participated in the radio station's Stripper 101 class and competition.

According to Mojo In The Morning producers, they have been contacted by representatives of Miss Universe requesting more photographs and information regarding the "Stripper 101 contest." Producers said they asked them if her title was in jeopardy, and they did not respond.

Radio officials said they will not release any other photographs and hope it doesn't affect her title.

"It would be foolish to consider anyone other than Rima to represent the USA. The photos taken from our website are no more provocative than those on the Miss USA website," said the station's website.

"I think that's its very awful. You don't want anybody to look up to you from your past. I mean, everybody has a rough past, but this is just awful," said a young Detroit girl.

Fakih was born into a powerful Shiite family in a village in southern Lebanon that was heavily bombed during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.

"We don't take sides and this is strange in a country like Lebanon," said Fakih's sister Rana Fakih said, referring to the civil war that was mainly between Muslims and Christians.

But she and her sister said the family celebrates both Muslim and Christian faiths and prefer to be referred to as Lebanese, Arabs or Arab-Americans.

Her sister said the new Miss USA was born in their southern village of Srifa, near the port-city of Tyre, after her parents could not reach their home near Beirut because of heavy fighting during the 1975-90 civil war.

She moved to the United States with her family in 1993 and attended a Catholic school in New York. Her family moved to Michigan in 2003.

Faqih, who moved back to Lebanon a few months ago for a new job said her sister often visits her in Lebanon. Her last trip here was to celebrate the New Year Faqih added that she spent the night exchanging messages with her father, Hussein, and another sister, Ruba, who were attending the competition.

"It was a beautiful surprise," she said from the family's native village of Srifa in southern Lebanon. "It was not easy for Rima to reach this title."

"We're very proud as Lebanese Americans and as Lebanese that Rima reached this point despite all the pressures and stereotyping about Arabs and Lebanese. She made it. She fought and reached her goal," her sister said.

Pageant officials said historical pageant records were not detailed enough to show whether Fakih was the first Arab-American, Muslim or immigrant to win the Miss USA title. The pageant started in 1952 as a local bathing suit competition in Long Beach, Calif.

Fakih told reporters she sold her car after graduating college in Michigan to help pay for her run in the Miss Michigan USA pageant.

In a moment that was replayed during the pageant's broadcast, Fakih nearly fell while finishing her walk in her gown because of the length of its train.

"I did it here, I better not do it at Miss Universe," she said. "Modeling does help, after all."

Fakih replaces Miss USA 2009 Kristen Dalton and won a spot representing the United States this summer in the 2010 Miss Universe pageant. She also gets a one-year lease in a New York apartment with living expenses, an undisclosed salary, and various health, professional and beauty services.

During the interview portion of the competition, Fakih was asked whether she thought birth control should be paid for by health insurance, and she said she believed it should because it's costly.

"I believe that birth control is just like every other medication even though it's a controlled substance," Fakih said.

Woolard handled a question about Arizona's new immigration law. She said she supports the law, which requires police enforcing another law to verify a person's immigration status if there's "reasonable suspicion" that the person is in the country illegally.

"I'm a huge believer in states' rights. I think that's what's so wonderful about America," Woolard said. "So I think it's perfectly fine for Arizona to create that law."

Miss Virginia USA Samantha Evelyn Casey was the second runner-up, Miss Colorado USA Jessica Hartman was third runner-up, and Miss Maine USA Katherine Ashley Whittier was the fourth runner-up.

Most of the field of contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia were eliminated just after the pageant began and the entire group danced onstage to "TiK ToK" by Ke$ha.

A panel of eight judges, including NBA star Carmelo Anthony, Treasure Island casino-hotel owner Phil Ruffin and Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir, were judging the girls throughout the night.

After 15 contestants strutted in swimsuits, five were eliminated. Another five were eliminated after the evening gown competition.

Miss Nebraska USA Belinda Renee Wright won the Miss Congeniality award, roughly one week after her father was killed in a farm accident. Miss Alabama USA Audrey Moore won Miss Photogenic after an online fan vote.

The pageant aired live to East Coast viewers on NBC.

The competition, which is not affiliated with the Miss America pageant, was hosted by celebrity chef Curtis Stone and NBC correspondent Natalie Morales.

Local officials said the Fakih family is one of the largest in the village that has a population of about 10,000 people and surrounding areas.

As is common among Lebanon's Shiites, Fakih comes from a large, extended clan that includes everything from supporters of the Islamic militant groups Hezbollah and Amal to secular Shiites and even communists.

"We are very happy for this event and we should have done something here to celebrate," said Ali Eid, the head of the municipal council. But, he said, the village was busy preparing for municipal elections on Sunday. Village Mayor Mohammed Hamed Nazzal also expressed pride.

"It is great news for us here that a woman from Srifa became Miss America."

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/23574322/detail.html

[Darnell 8,479]

and she got her own stripper pole for winning !!! How lucky !!!

Perhaps she'll install it in her new pad in NYC (courtesy of Da Trump) ??

Anyway - I look forward to following her in the news this year - I think she's a hottie !

Is a bit weird her last name is spelled differently, in the news article, though.

Edited May 17, 2010 by Darnell

[Donna A 4]

Even tho I tuned in late she was my pick because she was the most beautiful but does anyone think it could have been staged. I mean with tension with arab's in general do you think they picked her to ease that tension so arabs would be more accepted?

Birth control pills are really not a controlled substance... U dont need a DEA number to write a prescription for birth control pills. They are more just a prescription and not a controlled substance. controlled ones are narcotics and addictive. She did trip on her dress and these things are looked at in making decisions.

Years ago they picked a girl with diabetes who wore a pump. Its almost like they pick the ones who are different in some way so that young people can say hey...i have a disability....i can still be a winner.

anyway...congratulations miss michagan. ur beautiful!!!

[~ameriptian~ 54]

I knew she was Lebanese before I read where she was from. Personally, she has a very familiar Lebanese/Middle Eastern girl to me. A face you can see in the street, at work, on the beach, etc in the Middle East/Lebanon. She's still very pretty though...

Congrats to her and good luck at the Miss Universe competition.

Aya

[Tunisia216 2]

I can't watch those shows any more because no matter how gorgeous the girls are, as soon as they open their mouths most of them give the stupidest answers to easy questions and it just makes me cringe. You can be beautiful and intelligent too!

[Jenn! 918]

This was an interesting article.

http://www.guardian....2010-rima-fakih

She who must not be named is a real piece of work.

Edited May 18, 2010 by Jenn!

[Ban Hammer 13,552]

This was an interesting article.

http://www.guardian....2010-rima-fakih

She who must not be named is a real piece of work.

not really surprising that she who must not be named came up with that wacky take on the event.

[Tunisia216 2]

This was an interesting article.

http://www.guardian....2010-rima-fakih

She who must not be named is a real piece of work.

oh my lord will she ever quit???? How proud of a day to see she who must not be named mentioned with Daniel Pipes