Rima Fakih was the first Muslim to win the Miss USA competition when she was crowned the winner in 2010. Now, the former beauty queen has converted to Christianity. It is believed she converted last month in preparation for her marriage in Lebanon next week to a wealthy Christian music producer, Wassim Salibi.
When she won Miss USA she admitted she only became a Muslim when she got into college. She said:
"I'd like to say I'm American first, and I am an Arab-American, I am Lebanese-American, and I am Muslim-American." According to the news site Albawaba, Fakih only connected to her Muslim roots in college.
"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," she said. "I didn't know much about Ramadan and other holidays, and my dad wanted me to take that opportunity and learn."