110: Sarah Idan: Miss Universe Iraq 2017, self-proclaimed Zionist, courageous Human Rights voice

Jonny Gould's Jewish State

This is Sarah Idan’s story, Sarai more informally and publicly. She used to enter beauty pageants “to help bring people together”.

But as Iraq’s winning Miss Universe in 2017, she got much more than she bargained for. Sarai’s new life as a renowned Human Rights campaigner started there and then, when she took a selfie with Adar Gandelsman, participating alongside her as Miss Israel.

All hell let loose back home as the Iraqi tourism ministry ordered her to take the selfie down, “because it was harming the Palestinian cause“. “I said, what?”, Sarai replied and in that moment knew her feeling as an outsider even at home, was being realised.

The flurry of events which followed saw her family flee Baghdad and join her in a new life in California. Her Iraqi citizenship has been revoked, and she knows full well if she ever returned there, “I’d be killed in the airport”. Sarai now uses her fame and notoriety to push against despotism and terror.

She’s represented Hillel Neuer’s UN Watch in Geneva and as you’ll hear in this characteristically fearless discussion, she’s a champion of combating racism, prejudice and anti-Zionism among her own people, Arabs and Muslims.

She describes herself as a Zionist despite growing up around the incessant antisemitic echo chambers of Baghdad. Sarai is a lover of music and chose the theme tune for this episode, a stirring and emotional opus by Rachmaninov, “Symphony No. 2 Opus 27 III. Adagio” by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra - conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy.

The contrast between the music and her early life is rather striking. She is the CEO of an NGO called Humanity4Ward.

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