Thaindian News

By Gina Gomez
Las Vegas, Aug 24, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Although she was pitched as one of the strongest contenders to win this year’s Miss Universe pageant, Miss USA Rima Fakih stunned many when she was eliminated at the very outset in the beauty contest. The early exit of the 24-year-old beauty queen left many in her country disappointed who had kept their hopes high that Rima Fakih would be able to win the crown which has remained elusive for the United States of America since the year 1997.

The 24-year-old beauty queen who was representing USA in the much-coveted beauty pageant, had already seized many eyeballs as she is the first Muslim to win the national beauty contest in her country. Moreover, the Dearborn native also had created a stir recently when in an interview to a leading new source, she had expressed her opposition for the plan of establishing a mosque near Ground Zero emphasizing that it would be insensitive to the victims of 9/11. The beauty queen, who is a Muslim of Lebanese heritage, further went on to explain her strand by reiterating that more emphasis should be laid on the tragedy rather than on religion and so the mosque should not be so close to the site.

It hardly comes as a surprise that with her rather blunt and straightforward take on the burning issue, many had expected to see her go a long way in the beauty contest but unfortunately Miss USA failed to register a slot even in the semi-finals. The event that was held in Las Vegas last night saw Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrete being crowned as Miss Universe 2010.