New Miss USA Once Won Pole Dancing Contest
Dearborn Arabs delighted with Miss USA, while overseas other Muslims scold.
DEARBORN, Mich. May 17, 2010— -- The triumphant walk for the new Miss USA took her straight into controversy as a Muslim woman who flaunts her beauty, and who once flaunted it so well she won a stripper contest.
Rima Fakih, 24, won the title as the country's most beautiful woman Sunday night in Las Vegas.
Shortly after the release of pictures showing Fakih cradling a dozen roses across her strapless white dress while balancing a shimmering tiara on her head, came photos of Fakih in red short shorts, a tiny tank top and towering stilettos while balancing against a pole.
Fakih won the "Stripper 101" contest which was sponsored by a Detroit radio show Mojo in the Morning in 2007.
Spike, the co-host of Mojo, said news of the pole dancing drew the attention of Miss USA's parent organization, The Miss Universe pageant.
"The Miss Universe representatives called earlier today," Spike told ABCNews.com. "They wanted to see if we have more photos or information."
"They couldn't tell us what their intentions were and we didn't want to give them anything that might cause her to relinquish her crown," he said.
Spike called the inquiry "ridiculous" because "she's wearing more clothes in the photos on our site than she was in those photos for the pageant."
He said the contest was run by actual strippers, but the contestants did not strip. "They're not naked. They're encouraged to wear comfortable clothes," Spike said.
Fakih won some jewelry from the show's sponsors and a take home stripper pole.
It was the latest controversy for the Miss USA pageant. In 2009, the pageant's winner was overshadowed by the comments of runner-up Carrie Prejean opposing gay marriage. She was later stripped of her title as Miss USA runner-up and as Miss California because of a sexually explicit videotape in which she appeared alone.
It's not clear yet if Fakih's earlier triumph will taint her Miss USA crown, but in Michigan people were beaming over her selection. The broadest smiles were on the many faces of Arab immigrants in Dearborn.
