On June 25, 2019, Miss Iraq Sarah Idan—recently designated as an Ambassador for Peace by UN Watch, which invited her to the United Nations—took the floor at the United Nations to support peace with Israel. Following two speeches to the UN’s highest human rights body, the Iraqi Parliament’s Security and Defense Committee reportedly called for her Iraqi citizenship to be revoked, labeling her advocacy a “crime.” (Click here for full video and transcript of Sarah Idan’s speeches to the UN Human Rights Council)
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Media Mentions & Reactions to Sarah Idan’s UN Speech
Times of Israel: “At the UN Human Rights Council, Sarah Idan denounces the Iraqi government who did not support him after receiving death threats for his photo with Miss Israel…”
i24News: “Undeterred by the death threats and backlash that forced her family to flee Iraq for the United States, Idan recently joined the NGO UN Watch as an ambassador for peace…”
CNN Arabic: “Iraq’s former beauty queen, Sarah Idan, said her country’s government was revoking her citizenship for supporting Israel on the Human Rights Council…”
The Daily Mail: “Neuer said the threats against Ms. Idan were in ‘express violation’ of several of the UN resolutions which condemned all acts of intimidation by states against individuals who sought to cooperate with the United Nations…”
Forward: “After she publicly supported Israel and rebuked her government and country’s media before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva this month, some Iraqi members of parliament are calling for Sarah Idan’s citizenship to be revoked…”
NBC News Los Angeles:
https://www.facebook.com/unwatch/videos/681975148920569/?__xts__[0]=68.ARAOxUXix1G9dUbnrFhomVvHE_F-7t1vGirl6f-IaHUJ5tajuNvvV9S1xc6nbP0qehztnYfbloLewlSoAl-ly-2QygWV6Dw9-Glrt_r4JwJUZKEhtKCpjreb54BUvQ758rVHKNv4sDHZ5801QLvq2krcdx5MuwORogOPcN_JFhccMDSdVUV9mJ6Qbkwh827vBP4fpFci324GA1_za4g5r34OeCrCwANkTe8aLo-l-yF8NDRumPUVt2q_AHVnuFLQx3xif0CQXbj9AfM-ew1pKYwXRkq7FQeuqYcC5oaBXRNaCwwl11NpM8ZzB4T5NhODmMhI&__tn__=-R
Washington Examiner: “Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, a nongovernmental group that monitors the U.N., penned a letter to U.N. Human Rights Council President Coly Seck asking him to take action to stop Iraq from revoking Idan’s citizenship…”
Washington Times: “The watchdog group, UN Watch, called on Iraq in a statement Wednesday to stop its intimidation tactics toward Ms. Idan, who represented Iraq at the 2017 Miss Universe pageant and faced controversy there for posting pictures on social media with Israel’s entrant…”
Iraqi News: “Idan, who now lives in California, stressed that she will not remain silent on such hate campaigns, which she said pose a threat to “antisemitism” and violate her own rights…”
The Jerusalem Post: “Former Miss Iraq Sarah Idan has turned to Twitter to halt a drive in Baghdad to strip her of her Iraqi citizenship after she spoke in defense of Israel at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva last month….”
The Algemeiner: “In a letter addressed to Coly Seck, president of the council, UN Watch demanded that the world body protect Idan according to Human Rights Council Resolution 36/21, intended to shield those who testify before UN bodies…”
Miss Iraq Threatened With Citizenship Removal For Backing Israel at UN
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