Vida Samadzai

Vida Samadzai (born 22 February 1978) is an Afghan-American actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was Miss Afghanistan in 2003. As the first Afghan woman to participate in an international beauty pageant since 1974, her appearance in a red bikini in the 2003 edition of Miss Earth pageant created controversy in her native country.[1][2] She was a contestant on the popular reality show Bigg Boss in 2011.[3]

Vida Samadzai
Vida Samadzai performing at a Water Kingdom event in May 2012
Born (1978-02-22) 22 February 1978
Kabul, Afghanistan
NationalityAfghan-American
CitizenshipUnited States

Biography

Samadzai, an ethnic Pashtun, was born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan, and moved to the United States in 1996. She graduated from California State University at Fullerton and became a citizen of the U.S.[4][5] Samadzai also helped found a US-based women's charity that seeks to raise awareness of women's rights and education in the Afghanistan.[6]

She was the second Miss Afghanistan to take part in a beauty contest since Zohra Daoud was crowned Miss Afghanistan in 1974. Her participation in the Miss Earth beauty pageant in 2003 was condemned by the Afghan Supreme Court, saying such a display of the female body goes against Islamic law and Afghan culture. In particular, traditionalists objected to her appearance in a red bikini during the pageant's press presentation. She was given a special "Beauty for a Cause" award at that year's Miss Earth competition.[7][8][9][10][11]

The following year, Samadzai returned to the pageant and was among the 11 jurors who helped choose Priscilla Meirelles as Miss Earth 2004. On coronation night, the young women's rights activist wore a gown, saying: "I don't know if they'll have a problem this time because I'm not showing any skin or wearing a swimsuit".

Awards and achievements

On May 1, 2005, Vida Samadzai won the Ms. America 2005-06 pageant.[12]

Television
YearNameRoleChannelNotesRef
2011Bigg Boss 5ContestantColors TVEntered Day 1, Evicted Day 49
gollark: Perhaps a modified version which won't allow walls somehow, who knows.
gollark: With enough players collaborating, we can get constant walls and maybe force changes to the AP.
gollark: Great idea!
gollark: People might think "Well, this salt is there, maybe I can fob it off on someone".
gollark: I said "NOT AGAIN". This will be "AGAIN".

References
  1. Beauty prize for Miss Afghanistan Archived December 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, CNN.com, 10 November 2003
  2. Miss Afghanistan named "beauty for a cause', St. Petersburg Times, 10 November 2003.
  3. "Models, wrestler, transgender: Bigg Boss 5 inmates". Indiavision news. October 3, 2011. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011.
  4. "Miss Afghanistan wins award at Miss Earth", Chinaview.cn, 10 November 2003.
  5. Vida Samadzai, Afghan Beauty Queen, Banned, FemaleBeauty.info, 5 September 2006.
  6. Lauded at pageant, woman condemned by Afghan officials, Michigan Daily, 10 November 2003.
  7. "Miss Afghanistan Takes Prize at Miss Earth Contest" Archived 2010-09-16 at the Wayback Machine, Associated Press, FOXNews.com, 10 November 2003.
  8. Afghan beauty queen makes history, BBC News, 23 October 2003.
  9. Asia: Afghanistan: Anti-Pageant Judges, The New York Times
  10. "Afghan women's organization in "Miss Earth" show - Indymedia Ireland". indymedia.ie. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  11. "Opinion & Reviews - Wall Street Journal". opinionjournal.com. Retrieved 2016-02-07.
  12. Ms.America Pageant website
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