This warning came after her coronation as Miss Iraq.
The first Miss Iraq since 1972 has reportedly received a threatening phone call from IS — demanding she join their ranks or be kidnapped.Shaymaa Qasim Abdelrahman, 20, became the first winner
of the national beauty pageant in more than 40 years. According to the Jerusalem Post, which cited Kuwaiti Daily al-Watan, she received a phone call following her win saying she would be kidnapped if she refused to become a member of the militant group.The pageant's organisers said Abdelrahman was distressed but determined to "continue forward despite any obstacles".The beauty queen, from Kirkuk in northern Iraq, told NBC News: "I want to prove that the Iraqi woman has her own existence in society, she has her rights like men. I am afraid of nothing, because I am confident what I am doing is not wrong."The pageant has been fraught with controversy, prompting a backlash from religious hardliners with a number of contestants receiving death threats.A total of 200 contestants were scheduled to take part, but fewer than 10 women participated in the final because of the threats, according to Crave Magazine.Pageant director Ahmed Leith said, "The situation is weak here and we wanted to celebrate this the same way other countries, like Lebanon do. To have a sense of normalcy."
The first Miss Iraq since 1972 has reportedly received a threatening phone call from IS — demanding she join their ranks or be kidnapped.Shaymaa Qasim Abdelrahman, 20, became the first winner
of the national beauty pageant in more than 40 years. According to the Jerusalem Post, which cited Kuwaiti Daily al-Watan, she received a phone call following her win saying she would be kidnapped if she refused to become a member of the militant group.The pageant's organisers said Abdelrahman was distressed but determined to "continue forward despite any obstacles".The beauty queen, from Kirkuk in northern Iraq, told NBC News: "I want to prove that the Iraqi woman has her own existence in society, she has her rights like men. I am afraid of nothing, because I am confident what I am doing is not wrong."The pageant has been fraught with controversy, prompting a backlash from religious hardliners with a number of contestants receiving death threats.A total of 200 contestants were scheduled to take part, but fewer than 10 women participated in the final because of the threats, according to Crave Magazine.Pageant director Ahmed Leith said, "The situation is weak here and we wanted to celebrate this the same way other countries, like Lebanon do. To have a sense of normalcy."

No comments:
Post a Comment