Death threats haunt Miss Iraq following selfie controversy
CNN
Nearly a month ago, Sarah Idan was in a hand-beaded Swarovski crystal gown representing Iraq in the Miss Universe pageant. It was the first time in 45 years that Iraq had a contestant in the pageant, reports CNN from Los Angeles. I was on cloud nine, I had been dreaming of that forever, said Idan, 27, an aspiring singer/songwriter. But all of that suddenly changed. And it was all over a selfie. A selfie seen around the world. Idan and Miss Israel, Adar Gandelsman, took the picture during a pre-pageant photo shoot in Las Vegas. I said lets take a picture so our people can see we dont have a problem and were actually ambassadors for peace. In the caption, she wrote Peace and Love from Miss Iraq and Miss Israel. The reaction wasnt what she expected. Six days before the pageant, she woke up to threats from the Miss Iraq organization, warning her to take down the photo or shed be stripped of the title. Others threatened her life. She immediately called her family who was living in Iraq. My mom was freaking out. I told her Mom, just get out. Get out. I told her Im sorry and asked if she wants me to leave the competition. I was ready to drop out right then. Idan says she was also being threatened online because she wore a bikini during one of the preliminary competitions. But it was the selfie with Miss Israel that had the most serious repercussions.
