Rima Fakih is a Lebanese-American actress, model, professional wrestler and beauty pageant titleholder.
Having previously won the 2010 Miss Michigan USA pageant, she represented the state of Michigan in the national pageant, in which she won Miss USA 2010.
Fakih is married to Lebanese-Canadian entrepreneur and music manager Wassim “Sal” Slaiby. In 2018, she became the National Director of Miss Lebanon, the national beauty pageant of Lebanon.
Rima was born in Srifa, a small city in the Jabal Amel region of Southern Lebanon, and grew up in the village of Souk El Gharb in Mount Lebanon.
In 1993, her parents, Hussein and Nadia Fakih, moved their family to New York in order to escape the aftermath of the Lebanese civil war.
Earlier this week, Rima Fakih shared an Instagram post of a video taken in Martyr’s Square in central Beirut during a protest.
The video shows Lebanese women holding lit candles as they sang the recently updated version of the Lebanese anthem, which reinstates the role of the women of the Lebanese nation.
She captioned the video with the following words of encouragement: “So proud to see thousands of women have gathered in Solidarity for Lebanon’s revolution … the World Bank reported that HALF … 50% of LEBANONs population is poor!!!! KILON YA3ni KILON lets Go #kilonya3nekilon #lebanon.”
‘Kilon ya3ne kilon’, this expression that Rima concluded her post with, is a slogan that the Lebanese people have been using daily since the beginning of the revolution.
It translates to ‘ all means all’, and it calls for all politicians to be held accountable with absolutely no exception.
On October 20, which is 3 days after the birth of the Lebanese revolution, Rima first posted a video showing an iconic moment also in Downtown Beirut.
It was the moment thousands of people stood facing Lebanese riot force and the council of ministers, while they all clapped and yelled in unison: Revolution!
This post had the following caption: “Bahibak ya Libban ya watani bhibak DO NOT STOP until you are heard… you are making history… You are making a change… so proud to see all the young women and men standing strong together all as one ❤️ ❤️ #lebanon.”
Protesting men, women, and children are doing outstanding things in this revolution. The way they bounce it between being fun, a party and a completely serious and important historic event is unbelievable.
Clips and historic moments of the Lebanese people’s revolution have been reaching and impressing everyone since day one.
From Massari and Karl Wolf to Amal Clooney and many more influential figures of Lebanese origins, Lebanon has been getting so many words and actions of love and support.
Lebanese people, wherever they may be, love their homeland and want to see it getting better and overcoming all obstacles. It is beautiful seeing all Lebanese people’s hearts coming together for the sake of Lebanon!
