Rana Raslan

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]

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

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][11]

See also

References
  1. "Rana: No chance for Arab in Israeli world of modeling". Bladi.info (in French). Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  2. Staff (10 March 1999). "FOR FIRST TIME, ARAB REIGNS AS MISS ISRAEL". Buffalo News. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  3. "In the eye of the beholder" Archived 2007-03-02 at the Wayback Machine Al-Ahram #421, March 1999
  4. "BBC News | Middle East | Arab crowned Miss Israel". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  5. "Rana Raslan - Miss Universe competition". Flickr. 3 May 2006.
  6. "In a first, Arab wins Miss Israel pageant". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  7. "Back-slapping all round as Arab is crowned Miss Israel". the Guardian. 11 March 1999. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  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. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  9. "Arab beauty rides Miss Israel title through thorny issues", Jewish Telegraphic Agency, November 5, 1999
  10. "חיים אתגר על המפגש עם השייח' אליו נישאה רנא רסלאן | חשיפה". 5 August 2021.
  11. "Rana: No chance for Arab in Israeli world of modeling". Bladi.info (in French). Retrieved 23 February 2021.


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