Miss Iraq beauty pageant contestant forced to flee home after selfie with Miss Israel

When competing in a beauty pageant, you wouldn’t expect the outcome to involve death threats and having to leave your family home.

But that’s exactly what 27-year-old Sarah Idan faced after competing in the Miss Universe pageant in November.

Because of a selfie.

Idan, who is formally known as Miss Iraq, took a picture with Miss Israel, Adar Gandelsman, during a rehearsal for the pageant.

Both contestants posted the photo on Instagram with Idan captioning hers: “Peace and love from Miss Iraq and Miss Israel.”

“I said, ‘Let’s take a picture so our people can see we don’t have a problem and we’re actually ambassadors for peace,’” Idan told CNN.

Due to the conflict between Israel and Iraq, the backlash started almost immediately with people sending the 27-year-old death threats on social media.

Idan also said that people weren’t happy with her choice to wear a bikini during the swimsuit round of Miss Universe, forcing her to wear a more modest design for the televised competition.

Not only did Idan receive threats to herself, her family were also affected. “My mum was freaking out. I told her ‘Mum, just get out. Get out,’” she added. “I told her I’m sorry and asked if she wants me to leave the competition. I was ready to drop out right then.”

Despite posting a photo the next day saying a selfie doesn’t mean someone agrees with a country’s policies, Idan and her family have now left Iraq over fears for their safety.

“When I posted the picture I didn’t think for a second there would be blowback,” she continued. “I woke up to calls from my family and the Miss Iraq Organisation going insane. The death threats I got online were so scary.”

“The director of the Miss Iraq Organisation called me and said they’re getting heat from the ministry. He said I have to take the picture down or they will strip me of my title.”

According to Idan, all photos of her wearing a bikini have been taken down by Miss Universe. She is also struggling to renew her national ID as this involves visiting the passport office in Baghdad; something which Idan is currently afraid to do.

Idan has said that she has “no support whatsoever from the Miss Iraq Organisation and [Iraq’s] government. I’m here trying to paint a good picture about our country and our people, but instead I get a negative response.”

“A lot of people have the wrong idea about Iraq, and while we do have extremists, we also have good people. Most of the good people go unnoticed.”

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