Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
AMMAN, Jordan - The newly crowned Miss Iraq has gone into hiding, fearing she will be targeted by Islamic terrorists who reportedly threatened to kill other women for participating in a Baghdad pageant last week.
Silva Shahakian, an Iraqi Christian, received the title of Miss Iraq when the initial winner stepped down after receiving death threats and two other runners-up also bowed out, a person familiar with the event said yesterday.
Since receiving the crown, Shahakian has been lying low, fearing she will be targeted, he said. The pageant was held April 9 in a Baghdad social club and the initial winner, Tamar Goregian, gave back the crown four days later, he said.
Shahakian's whereabouts were unknown, although it was believed that she was still in Iraq. Several attempts to reach Goregian, who is believed to have left Iraq, failed.
"This chance does not come to every girl. So, I'm lucky to have that. I'm not going to lose it," Shahakian said.
Organizers are hoping to send the winner to the Miss Universe pageant, being held in Los Angeles on July 23.
Copyright 2004 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
