Rana Raslan

Rana Raslan
Raslan after being crowned national beauty queen in Tel Aviv, 9 March 1999
Born	(1977-03-17) 17 March 1977 (age 47) Wadi Nisnas, Haifa, Israel
Occupation	Model (formerly)
Spouse	Unknown ​ (m. 2003)​ [1]
Beauty pageant titleholder
Hair colour	Black
Eye colour	Brown
Major competition(s)	Miss Israel 1999 (Winner) Miss Universe 1999 (Unplaced)

Rana Raslan (Arabic: رنا رسلان; Hebrew: רנא רסלאן; born (1977-03-17)17 March 1977) is an Israeli former model who won Miss Israel in 1999.^[2] With the cancellation of the pageant in 2022, she remains the only Arab and Muslim to have won the title.^[3][4] Following her crowning as national beauty queen, Raslan represented Israel at Miss Universe that same year.^[5]

Concurrent Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Raslan's first-place nomination as a "clear manifestation of equality and cooperation between Jews and Arabs in Israel" and criticized the assertion that Arabs are treated as second-class citizens under Israeli law.^[6][7][8]

Early and personal life

Raslan was born on 17 March 1977 in Wadi Nisnas, a neighbourhood in the city of Haifa; her father is an Arab Muslim and her mother is an Arab Christian who converted to Islam.

She has described herself as a "secular Muslim" in response to accusations of immorality by Muslim fundamentalists—specifically in reference to the beauty pageants' usage of swimsuits.^[9]

In 2003, Raslan relocated to Dubai after her marriage to an Emirati businessman.^[10][1]

See also

• Lucy Aharish, Arab-Israeli journalist and actress
• Huda Naccache, Arab-Israeli model
• Lucy Ayoub, Arab-Israeli journalist
• Mira Awad, Arab-Israeli musical artist

References

1. "Rana: No chance for Arab in Israeli world of modeling". Bladi.info (in French). Retrieved 23 February 2021.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
2. "FOR FIRST TIME, ARAB REIGNS AS MISS ISRAEL". Buffalo News. 10 March 1999. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
3. Al-Masry, Mohamed (March 1999). "In the eye of the beholder". Al-Ahram. No. 421. Archived from the original on 2 March 2007.
4. "Arab crowned Miss Israel". BBC News. 10 March 1999. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
5. "Rana Raslan - Miss Universe competition". Flickr. 3 May 2006. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
6. "In a first, Arab wins Miss Israel pageant". Tampa Bay Times. 11 March 1999. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
7. Sharrock, David (11 March 1999). "Back-slapping all round as Arab is crowned Miss Israel". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
8. "Israel's beauty queen is Arab; Contest: The Jewish state's first Muslim Miss Israel carries a lot more than a crown on her head". Baltimore Sun. 11 March 1999. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
9. Mercer, Jeannine (5 November 1999). "Arab beauty rides Miss Israel title through thorny issues". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012.
10. חיים אתגר על המפגש עם השייח' אליו נישאה רנא רסלאן | חשיפה. Mako (in Hebrew). 5 August 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2024.

External links

• Israel beauty queens since 1950