|
|
Arab Miss Israel Arouses Political Ire
The first Arab woman to win the title of Miss Israel finds herself the focus of bitter political wrangling, but vows to keep her crown.
Start Date: 4/10/99
To anyone who will listen, Rana Raslan says she firmly believes in peaceful relations between Arabs and Jews in Israel. It's a special concern for Ms. Raslan, who on March 9 was crowned this year's Miss Israel -- the first time an Arab woman has won that honor. She will go on to represent Israel in the Miss Universe contest in Trinidad and Tobago at the end of May.
"It does not matter if I am Jewish or Arab, I will represent Israel as best I can... We must live here in coexistence," Ms. Raslan says. But no sooner had she received her crown than the sniping, and the hate mail, began.
According to the Associated Press, she was especially troubled by a poll that claimed 64% of Jewish Israelis could not accept her as their Miss Israel.
Critics among both Arabs and Jews saw Ms. Raslan's victory as somehow politically motivated. The contest judges were accused of picking her just because she was Arab, a charge competition organizer Pnina Rosenblum dismissed. "She won because she was beautiful and delicate and interesting -- not because she was an Arab," Rosenblum said.
Some foreign-based Arab newspapers said Ms. Raslan was being used by the Israelis to divert attention from alleged Israeli crimes against Arabs. "You daughter of Raslan, you are nothing but a means to serve the aims of the sons of Zion," said the Paris-based Al-Watan Al-Arabi weekly.
She has been pressured to speak out for the rights of Arabs; criticized by conservative Muslims for showing herself in a bathing suit; and urged to renounce her crown in favor of a Jewish Miss Israel -- something she does not plan to do. Instead, she is practicing her English for the Miss Universe contest. Later on, she says, she would like to become a kindergarten teacher.
Ms. Raslan's belief in the possibility of coexistence began with her upbringing. The home of her Muslim parents is decorated with Christian crosses and Jewish blessings as well as Islamic books and symbols. Now that Ms. Raslan is in the spotlight, her beliefs are being put to the test.
 Excelsior, Michael Lindemann's new novel (written under the pen name Michael Paul), depicts a wholly plausible near future in which human cloning is both widespread and widely abused; terrorists have access to target-specific biological weapons; recreational space travel is commonplace; and mounting pressures of global climate change, environmental decline, population growth and civil unrest inspire radical new approaches to urban security.
|
Built by Frontier on a Macintosh on 6/17/00; 12:00:34 PM.
Web Comments  -
Produced by Larry Lowe
Served 17541 times since 4/10/99.
|
Boris Yeltsin's Popularity Drops to Single Digits
Amid continuing economic crisis, scandal and resurging ultra-nationalism, Russian President Boris Yeltsin's popularity is at an all-time low.
Swiss Move Toward Legalization of Marijuana
Noting that existing drug laws are not effective, a study panel has advised the Swiss government to legalize marijuana.
British Ruling on Pinochet Sets New Precedent
Members of the British House of Lords ruled on March 24, 1999 that former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is not immune from prosecution for alleged human rights atrocities; but the panel also reduced the number of charges from 32 to 3.
Palestine Ponders Statehood as May 4 Approaches
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat visited a number of foreign capitals during the last week of March, 1999, seeking advice and support for Palestine's anticipated declaration of statehood, as set forth in the Oslo peace accords five years ago.
Kosovo Draws Attention While Other Conflicts Rage
Conflict in Yugoslavia makes headlines, but other major wars continue in Africa and Asia, mostly ignored by the world press.
Watchdog Group Cites Most-Censored Stories of 1998
'Project Censored' at Sonoma State University in California announced the 25 most-censored news stories of 1998. Their top pick focused on the little-known Multilateral Agreement on Investment.
Vigilantism Becoming Daily Activity in Kenya
Many Kenya citizens say they're tired of being preyed upon by hoodlums and ignored by corrupt police, so they're taking the law into their own hands.
Turkey: A Nation at the Crossroads
Turkey is a nation of rich history, strong aspirations and deep contradictions, situated where East and West, and past and future, meet.
Canada Has New Territory, To Be Run By Native Inuit
On February 15, 1999, Canada announced creation of a new territory which will be governed by the Inuit people who are native to the region.
Three-Currency World Now Seems Plausible
With the successful introduction of the euro currency, some economists and politicians are looking to the day when a dollar zone in the Americas and a yen zone in the Far East result in a three-currency world.
|
|
