controversy concerning Miss Lebanon
Max Eid
(Daily Star, October 29, 1999)
Sabine Darrous
Daily Star staff
With a combination of beauty, self-confidence and
eloquence, Norma Naoum, Miss Lebanon 1999, shrugged
off critical press reports on Thursday, and
demonstrated the qualities which got her elected.
"The committee made its choice, but that's now in
the past. People are with me now and that's what's
important to me," she said, smiling at reporters
who gathered at the Portemilio Hotel in Kaslik.
At her first news conference since being elected
Miss Lebanon on Saturday, Naoum responded to
questions even those touching on the alleged
controversial results with eloquence and calm.
Asked her reaction to the "audience who rejected
the election results," Naoum said: "At least give
me the chance to prove myself."
The day after the election of Miss Lebanon, many
media reported a controversy concerning the
election of 22-year old Naoum, questioning whether
she was competent to hold the title. The majority
of the audience was allegedly for Nicole-Rita
Ghazal, the second runner-up.
But the reports did not seem to affect Miss
Lebanon.
"I was not surprised when I read the news the next
day. Each person has his or her own opinion so
there's always a controversy surrounding such
things," Naoum said, confidently adding that she
now hoped to read more favorable accounts after the
news conference.
Asked her reaction to the audience applauding
Ghazal and not her, Naoum said she did not know
why, and shook her head as if to indicate that she
felt the audience did cheer her on.
"Nicole is a very special girl, she was able to
make the audience like her. I personally applauded
her a lot because her stage presence is strong and
her answers to the jury's questions were great,"
she said.
"Every girl at the extravaganza deserved to be Miss
Lebanon. All of them had the qualifications and the
beauty as well as cultural standards."
"The jury is the one that chooses; why don't you
ask them about the results?" she added.
A fourth year law student at La Sagesse, Naoum, who
will be representing Lebanon in the Miss World
contest in London next month, chose the humanities,
particularly issues concerning children, for her
theme and program during the coming year.
Naoum said she will donate her monthly salary as
Miss Lebanon, about $1,500, to Mother Theresa's
Missionaries of Charity in Lebanon, because they
"serve all people without discrimination,
regardless of their affiliation, race or religion."
However, since the missionaries do not accept
financial donations, she explained that her salary
would be converted to food or other items needed by
the missionaries.
Naoum said that she was also concerned about
homeless children and juvenile delinquents, and
noted that Lebanon lacks proper correction centers
that meet humanitarian and international standards.
Asked how she was feeling since being crowned Miss
Lebanon, Naoum said: "It's even more magnificent
than what I'd dreamt it would be."