"But almost in all societies today the problem is rooted in our tendency to lock people who are different from us into black and white stereotypes, which diminish and limit them, and in our anger and surprise when we see that in fact real people don’t fit in such categories and stereotypes."

Isn't that the truth and the bigotry against her is coming predictably from fundamentalist Muslims and not from tolerant Americans as is evidenced by Muslim scholar Ghazal Omid who wrote "To say that she is a Muslim is inaccurate. No Muslim woman can call herself a ... Muslim and be on stage with her bikini".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rima_Fakih

Interestingly, Ms Ghazal Omid is an Iranian-Canadian author who was born in Iran. According to Wikipedia, Ghazal says she is an advocate for human and women's rights, and has written an autobiographical work entitled Living In Hell: A True Odyssey of a Woman's Struggle in Islamic Iran Against Personal and Political Forces.

For her part, Rima said she regarded herself as American first and why wouldn't she? She was quoted as saying that she and her family are Muslims and respect the religion, but they may not be as strict as many people and do not define themselves by their religion. Good for her!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rima_Fakih

Full marks to the US where freedom and choice are more than words.

Muslim women in burkas are victims of oppression. Muslim women who win pole dancing competitions are victims of oppression. How can women ever hope to be happy if someone is telling them they are being oppressed no matter what they do?

All she needs to do now is a sex tape and then she can be truly liberated and celebrated.

I find it quite amazing that people would refer to one (Miss USA) who stands before the world as a living example of what a "Muslim" is NOT....would try to use her as an example of.."muslims can be hot" :)

PEOPLE can be hot... and Muslims are people.. but going by the pretty widely known Muslim custom of modesty... (in which they are way ahead of our current promiscuous, profligate and degenerate status quo).. she hardly fits ANY notion of "Muslim". I suppose (to get a bit technical) she is, according to Islamic theology "born a Muslim" but that same theology would consider her an apostate in her rather immodest attire.

Rather silly topic I think.

Good for Rima Fakih winning the title of Miss USA. Beauty Contest winners do not hold a lot of importance in my viewpoint, but it is quite an acheivement nevertheless.
I just hope no fruit-loop extremist fellow Muslim does not try to burst her little bubble, literally, because she insults Islam. I'm sure though if this were to happen, none of us could pretend to mbe shocked

Can Muslim women be hot?

Think Jordan's Queen Rania.

Think Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

Travel to the Muslim countries - you're
surrounded by some of the most beautiful
women on the face of this earth.