Arab American's Miss USA Win Sparks Predictable Ranting

Rima Fakih

Despite almost tripping in her evening gown (video below), a 24-year-old Arab American woman from Dearborn, Michigan won the Miss USA crown last night in Las Vegas. (New York's contestant, Davina Reeves, didn't even make the semis.) Rima Fakih, a Lebanese immigrant who was brought to the U.S. as a baby, bested runner-up Morgan Elizabeth Woolard of Oklahoma, who was asked by "The Office" star Cesar Nunez where she stood on Arizona's SB 1070. The crowd immediately started booing, and naturally some right-wingers are blaming liberal bias on her loss.

"Let me finish the question," Nunez implored the crowd, who erupted again during Woolard's response. "I'm a huge believer in states' rights. I think that's what's so wonderful about America," said Woolard. "So I think it's perfectly fine for Arizona to create that law." Now some see a conspiracy in the questioning, and wonder if it cost Woolard the crown. Daily News commenter Hadar leads the pack: "The overwhelming majority of REAL AMERICANS support the ARIZONA law and the SOVEREIGNTY of this great nation that LaRaza and the criminal illegal aliens are trying to destroy. I believe this winner was a setup from the start."

But Fakih didn't get a softball question either; during the interview portion, she was asked whether she thought birth control should be paid for by health insurance. She said yes, explaining, "I believe that birth control is just like every other medication even though it's a controlled substance." After receiving the title, which comes with a rent-free apartment in the Trump Tower in NYC for a year plus an undisclosed salary, Fakih was asked how she felt and replied, "Ask me after I've had a pizza."

Now FOX News is now reporting that she was once in a "stripping" contest... that didn't involve her taking off her clothes. But will it cost her her crown? A Detroit morning show that put the photos of the fully-clothed stripping online has just been contacted by representatives of Miss Universe "requesting more photographs and information regarding Miss USA Rimah Fakih's involvement in the 'Stripper 101 contest."

For now at least, the crown still belongs to Fakih, and Arab Americans in Michigan were elated last night. Imad Hamad, regional director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, tells the Detroit Free Press, "This is historic. This shows the greatness of America, how everyone can have a chance to make it." As long as your really really ridiculously good looking and define "making it" as being a paid shill for Donald Trump.

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By John Del Signore in News on May 17, 2010 2:53 PM

Comments [rss]

ANGRYGOD11

She may be Arab, but most Lebanese immigrants to Michigan are Christians.

Nearly 10 years after 9/11, most Americans haven't bothered to learn the most basic facts about The Middle East nor The Arab World.

AnonEMouse

Am I? the only one who thinks this woman's response to the birth control question was WRONG? Birth control is NOT a "controlled substance", drugs like Oxycontin are controlled substances...

Mr. Shankly

She talks?

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

She's ok, not that hot.

JenChungsBaby

How long until she gets her first death threat from radical muslims?

farleft

Radical Christians and Jews are more of a threat to her and her people than Muslims.

JenChungsBaby

I'll bet you $1000 right now that within a year we hear about a death threat against her from radical muslims. She's a high profile Arab woman running around in a bikini. Ain't no Christian or Jew who cares about that.

Guest

There are hotter Arab American women walking down Steinway right now. Anyway, good for her!

Mr. Shankly

Cue the commenter who would 'lick all o' dat'.

She could be one of OBL's daughters for all I care. Smokin!

farkas

For a second I thought I was on Gawker. Really? An article based around one comment on the Daily News website?

Sure, Fakih didn't get a softball question, but did it cause the crowd to boo?

Mookie Wilson

Didn't see it. Too busy watching the Miss Latina pageant on Telemundo last night.

BERT

I believe "The Office" star's name is OSCAR Nunez (not Cesar)

claudiachloe

She needs a pizza to understand her emotions?

Stevennnn

What is the point of these pageants?

SonnyBobiche

When I was a kid, my mother used to watch these shows and their mother-pageant, Miss Universe. I soon learned that they were rigged, period.

Every year, the Miss Universe pageant was held in a different country and every year the contestant from that country ended a semifinalist. That struck me as impossible statistically and so blatant that I couldn't believe that they still market it.

In 1973, I believe, the winner of Miss Universe was Lebanese Christian Arab while the runner up was an Israeli. Now really, what are the odds of that happening right during the Yom Kippur war?

Side note, that Lebanese Miss Universe ended up marrying a terrorist who got his head blown up with an explosive telephonbe set up by the Mosssad.

Cheers.

hotstepper

grab your foil hat kiddo. this is Miss USA, so if its rigged obviously Obama, McChrystal, and Panetta coordinated this as part of their Peace in the Middle East vision. half-naked Arab hottie craving a steaming pizza after winning a glittery sexed-up beauty pageant, what could be more American? in America we appropriate YOU!