Brains, Beauty & a great Bod

She’s only 19. She has an IQ of 140, and is a second year psychology-English undergraduate at University of Sydney.

She is a Muslim.

She comes from a wonderfully rich family background, with a Lebanese Muslim father and an Indian Hindu mother. She feels blessed to have so many different influences in her life.

She said: "I think the advantage for me in this country is I have adopted some Western values, and being Muslim means I have Eastern values, too."

"As long as I believe in the right things and treat others well ….. it shouldn't matter what religion I am."

Absolutely sweetheart

Young Sabrina Houssami is representing Australia at the Miss World pageant in Poland in September.

She said she was thrilled to be promoting a diverse and multicultural look for Australia when she competes in front of billions of viewers in September.

"I think we should work on changing the stereotypes. Living in the suburbs has helped me to not be the typical beauty queen. I think growing up in an environment where image is not everything has helped me keep abreast of the fact that I'm an intelligent person first."

The Miss World competition includes charity fund-raising as well as the usual swimsuit and evening-wear modelling. The concept of Miss World Australia as a vehicle for raising much-needed funds for charity throughout the community is referred to as “Beauty With A Purpose”.

Sabrina has already raised $34,000 for Variety the Children’s Charity, as part of that commitment. The funds raised would be donated to Life Education and the Astara Angels.
Referring to the 'other Aussie Muslim', Michelle Leslie, who was jailed for a while in Bali for possession fo ecstacy pills, Sabrina said we’ll will never see topless photos of Australia's entrant for the Miss World beauty pageant – dash it.

Sabrina said she would also never model swimwear, though she would wear one, a modest one, in the finals.

And she’s not just all beauty because, as mentioned she has an IQ of 140, she has just been accepted into Mensa, a group for the intellectually gifted. She said the Muslim community in Sydney had been supportive. She is keen to break down beauty pageant concepts.


She said: "My opinion is that some people are very misinformed. Putting yourself in a competition like Miss World is about the charity, which is one of the biggest parts of Islam."

Amin.

Photo credits – di Kennedy, Herald Sun, Herfactor, girl.com.au, Courier Mail