INQUISITR.COM / Health & Lifestyle

Rima Fakih: First Muslim Miss USA Reportedly Converts To Christianity

By Patrick Frye
Published on: 12:44 PST, Jun 26, 2016

From what is reported from numerous conservative and Christian news websites, Rima Fakih, the first Muslim to win the Miss USA Beauty Pageant back in 2010, has converted to Christianity.

According to Fox News, Rima Fakih apparently made her conversion to Christianity public through her official Twitter page. There, she posted one of the more prominent quotes in the Holy Bible that Christ Followers often use in evangelism.

The conversion, however, may not be associated with an actual relationship with Jesus Christ, but in preparation of her marriage to Wassim Salibi, a wealthy Christian music producer, as reported by Christian Today. Though the reasons may not be considered “authentic,” many Christ Followers have faith the marriage is just a means for Rima Fakih to establish such a relationship with the religion’s Lord and Savior.

To be fair, though, Rima Fakih’s stance in Islam was not something that was defined as a religion as she considers herself and her family more spiritual. According to Charisma News, Fakih had an interview with the Huffington Post back in 2010, the year she won the title of Miss USA. Back then, Rima Fakih brought the aforementioned, of being Muslim identifying them, but not the religion.

“We’re more of a spiritual family. Religion really doesn’t define me or my family. My family’s been very liberal, and we appreciate all different kinds of religions.”

Rima Fakih also added during her interview that her family would often celebrate both Christian and Islamic holidays. She even mentioned that some members of her family are openly Christian and what religion means to them, being a part of individuals one must respect and teach about ethics.

“I consider myself to be blessed. I have a family that is a mix of different religions and different ethnicities. My brother-in-law is Christian, and he (and my sister) baptized their two sons. I have an uncle who converted to Christianity, and he’s a priest now. My family is Muslim. But none of this ever came up in our family. We don’t look at religion as something that defines us, we look at religion as something that we respect, and something that teaches us about ethics.”

Ultimately, Rima Fakih’s conversion can possibly be seen as a step toward her maturing in her faith. For starters, Fakih wasn’t really a practicing Muslim as she only connected with her Muslim roots during her college years at the University of Michigan.

“When I went to the University of Michigan, because there’s more of a Muslim community, my dad wanted me to learn more about Islam. I didn’t know much about Ramadan and other holidays, and my dad wanted me to take that opportunity and learn.”

Next, Rima Fakih was somewhat lax on some of the restrictions given to practicing Muslims, especially when it comes to the consumption of alcohol and their views of purity. After winning the title of Miss USA, Fakih was involved in a controversy when photos surfaced of her participating in a radio station’s “Stripper 101” contest. Later on in 2012, she was convicted of drunk driving in which she was sentenced to probation and community service.

If Rima Fakih’s conversion to Christianity as being the real thing has yet to be determined. Theologians, especially those who specialize in Christianity, will state that Fakih is a “Baby Christian,” as in she needs to know the “milk of the Word.” However, they state that anyone who is a Christ Follower will tend to dive more into the Holy Bible, reading its Word, seeking obedience, and putting everything on God. Instead, they say many who claim they are Christian are cheerleaders (Feel Good Christianity), Pharisees (Westboro Baptist Church), or lukewarm (salad bar Christians who pick and choose what to follow and what not to follow).

[Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation]

Share this article: Rima Fakih: First Muslim Miss USA Reportedly Converts To Christianity
Islam miss usa christianity
More from Inquisitr