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 IsraelatMiss Universe that same year.[5]
Rana Raslan
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|---|---|
Raslan after being crowned national beauty queen in Tel Aviv, 9 March 1999
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| Born | (1977-03-17) 17 March 1977 (age 47)
Wadi Nisnas, Haifa, Israel
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| Occupation | Model (formerly) |
| Spouse |
Unknown (m. 2003) |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| 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]
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]
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