Miss America is Mulsim....so what?

Miss America 2010 winner is Rima Fakih, an Arab-American. Almost 72 hours since she won the crown and the controversy and debates have already begun. Pictures surfing of her pole dancing, riske lingerie pictures and critics questioning her Americanism or her representation of Islam or an Arab-American.

I have no comments for the pictures. Actually I do. I thought the lingerie pictures were tastefully done. Art work actually. The camera does enjoy taking pictures of her. The black and white shots were amazingly taken by the photographer. And, that’s all I have to say. Controversy has not been shy to the beauty pageants in recent years so I don’t see why discussing controversy here will be important.

But, what is important is the many who are questioning her Americanism or her adequate representation of Islam.

Rima Fakih will be representing USA in the Miss Universe pageant because she is an American. Her parents immigrated to the USA, however, she was born and raised Michigan. Since winning the crown, she has repeatedly stated that her household is a liberal Muslim family that follows both Christian and Muslim religious traditions.

No one has asked any questions about what makes her as American as apple pie for her to bear the crown of Miss USA? She was born the USA. She went to USA colleges and attained degrees. She wore the gown and gracefully walked the stage, even catching herself while she stumbled. She wore the bathing suit and strutted across the stage. She answered the “controversial” questions about birth control. What is un-American about her that she not don the crown?

I also believe what this win has shown is that the white, blond, blue eyed beauty standards are of yesterday. Today’s American beauty standard is very different – dare I say its Brown!! I believe Miss America Rima Fakih is demonstrating the new beauty standard for American women – curvy, dark haired, brown, confident and smart!

As a non-Mulsim or non-Arab-American, perhaps I shouldn’t state my opinion of the second controversial debates surrounding Sunday’s beauty pageant. But, since this is my blog, I will!! In grad school, I was taught to remember “there is diversity within diversity.” It simply means that within any group of people there is great diversity; there are different people, languages, lifestyles, cultures, and liberal and conservative beliefs.

The Muslim community is one such example. Being Muslim does not imply that all followers of Islam will hold the same beliefs, values or lifestyles. They may not speak the same language; one may wear the full burqa, another a headscarf, while others are comfortable in bikinis; one may believe that they can hit their wife and others hold women in high esteem. The only thing in common is that they all identify as Muslim.

While I understand that Islam encourages modesty – actually all faiths do – wearing a bikini or a short skirt or a tank top, does not mean that a woman does not have respect for her religion or God. I believe importance should be placed on our deeds, behaviors, expressions of love and friendship, understanding of good, bad and ethics, and ability to forgive. Not the clothes that I wear or the language I speak or the country I was born in. I believe that Arab-American/Muslim community should be proud that this young woman was able to break barriers and positively represent herself and her community in the international arena as a smart, sassy beautiful Arab woman, not as a terrorist.

(I do have issues with beauty pageants and what they are teaching young girls; however, that is not the topic of this entry…perhaps another day I will mention the unrealistic standards of beauty, the love South Asians have for the light skinned beauty queen and how walking in a gown or a swim suit is not the only thing that should be used to determine beauty standards.)

Unfortunately, whether she wants to or not, she will be recognized as an Arab pageant winner, not as an American beauty queen.

On Sunday, as the Miss America pageant was airing on TV, I was at the Houston Palestinian Film Festival which had aired too films on taboo topics – breast cancer and honor killings. As I walked out of the theatre thinking of the many innocent women who died because of false accusations and then heard of the criticisms surrounding the beauty pageant, I couldn’t help but think, is religion and culture making us stronger or weaker?

Perhaps it was the films or the frustration with so many being upset with Rima’s win or my own personal experiences, but I feel that culture and religion have made us weaker. Both culture and religion help develop values, beliefs and paradigms in which we shape our everyday lives and the big picture. They help us learn who we are and shape who we want to be. They provide us an understanding of right and wrong. But, as we are learning all this, religion and culture place the individual in a box, one in which only those four walls are seen and heard. Reason does not exist.

All we see is that which we live in, said to us and taught to us. It is that very ignorance and blind acceptance of truth that weakens a person. And, ultimately a community. Be proud of who you are, but don’t forgot to respect AND accept the other for who they are. I believe, once the walls of religion and culture are torn down we all have the same goals – to be happy!