Miss Israel pageant (archive)
Photo: Shaul Golan
Threatened Druze beauty contestant quits pageant
Angelina Fares dreamt of becoming Miss Israel, but after police foiled an 'honor killing' plot against her last week she announced she won't participate
"I respect the Druze community and its religious leaders and I am whole with my decision to drop out of the competition. I'm a little sad because my dream of being Miss Israel is over. It isn't easy for me to give it up," said 18-year-old beauty queen finalist Angelina Fares on Monday evening, bringing to an end what has been a strenuous experience for her family.
Honor Killing Foiled
Police foil plans to commit honor killing against Israel's first Druze beauty pageant contestant. Community's leader to try to dissuade girl from competing one last time
Fares, the first Druze to contend in the beauty pageant, made headlines when police announced they had arrested two men from Sajur, Angelina's village in northern Israel, for conspiring to murder her in order to prevent her participation in a pageant that "would defile the honor of the Druze community."
While Angelina relocated from Sajur for her own safety Sheikh Muwaffak Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, was in close contact with Angelina's mother. Tarif urged the family to persuade Angelina to drop out of the contest.
On Monday evening she made her choice. Accompanied by her mother, Dalia, Sheikh Tarif and a pageant administrator, Angelina held a press conference at a Druze center in the village of Julis and announced her withdrawal from the pageant.
Tarif spoke first: "The Druze have a red line too, we are for progress and advancement and technology alongside maintaining chastity and honor. There are many ways to integrate into society while keeping to tradition and values. If we do not preserve ourselves, the values will crumble and what will we be left with? Angelina prevented the defilement of the community's honor."
'I didn't mean to offend anyone'
Anglina explained mournfully that she feels whole with the decision made by the community leaders. "I didn't want to or mean to offend anyone, certainly not the Druze community and its values," she said," life is more important to me.""It's a very difficult feeling, I innocently wanted to fulfill a dream; I had a dream of being a beauty queen and representing Israel and women with honor. I was shocked when I heard about the plan to kill me. I've been severally traumatized, I didn't know anything (of it) and was surprised," she said.
Her mother, Dalia, told reporters she felt "very relieved" that her daughter had decided to honor the Sheik's decision. "What's important is that my daughter has been returned to me safely," she added.
Tarif later pledged to help Angelina's family after hearing they were experiencing financial difficulties. He also thanked the management of La'Isha women's magazine, which sponsors the pageant, for respecting Druze values.
Iris Cohen, a representative for the magazine and a pageant administrator said in response to Angelina's withdrawal: "We accepted the contestant into the pageant after receiving the explicit approval of both her parents, so we didn't think we would face any hostility. We respect her wishes."
