Iraq wins the title of Miss Arab USA 2024

Zenovia Jafar was crowned Miss Arab USA 2024 at the end of the Miss Arab USA pageant, held on June 29, 2024 in Chandler, Arizona, USA. The 27-year-old from Detroit beat out 20 other beautiful delegates to win this title and to succeed the last year titleholder, Farag Abu Adeela, Miss Arab USA 2023.

The Michigan State University alum moved to the U.S after escaping the war in Iraq in the late 1990s. She said, “When we moved here, I remember one thing my mother told us: that we should never forget our roots and where we came from.”

She mentioned, “My mother was committed to teaching us to read, write, and speak Arabic. And this is something for which I am very grateful to my mother because I can read Arabic, I can write Arabic, I can speak Arabic, and I can understand many Arabic dialects.

And I have never forgotten who I was and where my family came from. And I think that is something very important when you grow up away from home, you should stay connected to who you are. Because in the end, all you have are your roots.”

She is one of nine siblings and is a self-taught photographer, poet and social media content creator.

Jafar in an interview with Arab News after the competition on Sunday said, “My experience with Miss Arab USA has been one of the best experiences of my life. When I went in, I had no idea what was going to happen, but the most important thing is that when I went in, I can honestly say that winning was on my mind. I didn’t think about anything else.”

She added, “But when I reached this point, I realized that the friendships and connections I made with the people here are invaluable and far more important than winning. I genuinely wanted to connect with every individual I met, and I think that is what helped me win Miss Arab USA because I focused more on building real connections and doing the work that needed to be done.”

Jafar told the Free Press she hopes to use the cash prize of $10,000 and her influence to help others.

“Prior to earning the title, I have done my own things with philanthropy and fundraising for people who are in underdeveloped communities,” she said. “This is something that I started a long time ago and want to keep doing.”

“There’s a lot of things I’m looking forward to, one of them being working with refugees. I came to America as a refugee. I know this won’t only be an emotional experience for me, but a rewarding one as well.”

Jafar says she is also interested in helping cancer patients and visiting children hospitals. “I am going to raise more money for charities. I came here to serve as Miss Arab USA and to use my voice to amplify the voices of those who are not heard around the world.”

“The competition is so much more than just beauty; beauty doesn’t define who you are. It’s really nice when a woman takes cares of herself, but beauty is from within and that’s the most important part,” she said.

When asked if she had any advice for young Arab American women, Zenovia Jafar said, “I would say that as an Arab woman, it is very important to push your boundaries and always work outside your comfort zone because otherwise, you will never grow. Always strive to improve yourself.”