Miss USA Rima Fakih
Photo: AP
Hezbollah less than impressed by Miss USA
Newly-crowned Arab-American Miss USA Rima Fakih's native Lebanese town hails her election, but Hezbollah insists on raining of her parade
Newly-crowned Miss USA Rima Fakih may be the pride and joy of her native Lebanese village, but the 24-year-old beauty contestant is far less popular among some leaders in the Middle East.
According to Fox News, Hezbollah official Hassan Fadlallah was less than impressed with Fakih, who became the first Muslim American on to win the title.
"The criteria through which we evaluate women are different from those of the west," Fadlallah told Lebanese television.
Fakih emigrated from Lebanon to the US when she was seven years old. In her hometown of Srifa, which is largely ruled by the Shiite militant group, residents have reportedly hailed Fakih as an "honor" to the region.
"She is an honor to us, an honor to all of southern Lebanon," her aunt Afifa Fakih told AFP.
"We are so often described as terrorists and killers, but we Shiites love life and beauty – and mainly the beauty of the soul, which is what is so special about Rima," she added.
