Zohra Daoud

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Zohra Yousuf Daoud (Persian: زهرة يوسف) (b. 1954, Mazar-i-Sharif^[1]) is a former Afghani TV celebrity and model now a citizen of United States. In December 1972 Dawoud became the first woman ever to be crowned Miss Afghanistan, months before a bloodless coup forced King Zahir Shah into exile. The only other Miss Afghanistan winner is Vida Samadzai.

Contents 1 Early life and background 2 Life after becoming Miss Afghanistan 3 Post-Afghanistan life 4 A social activist 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Early life and background

Unlike most women in her country Zohra actually belonged to the privileged elite class being born into a well-to-do family of three bothers and five sisters. Her father was a Columbia University graduate doctor, and Afghanistan's surgeon general and her mother also belonged to a well-known family. She spent her early life with cooks, maids and a chauffeurs in high-society Kabul. But as the pageant gained popularity, she decided to enter and eventually landed the title because of her intelligent responses during the question and answer session. The pageant was sponsored by Afghan Life magazine, attracted nearly 100 contestants between the ages of 18 and 26, mostly from Kabul. There was no swimsuit competition but there were western styled evening gowns.

[edit] Life after becoming Miss Afghanistan

In her first months as Miss Afghanistan, Daoud promoted literacy and distributed supplies throughout the underdeveloped country. By the end of her much-publicized charity tour, the King had fled, along with his daughter, Princess Bilquis, who had been a strong promoter of the beauty pageant. Due to their departure and the perception that the pageant was "a luxury for that high society", the contest was abruptly terminated, and Daoud was not asked to make any more public appearances as Miss Afghanistan. However Daoud had already made an impression.

Television executives were waiting with offers of high-profile positions. She became the host of a TV quiz show, in which girls would compete against boys on their knowledge of current events and also hosted shows on Radio Afghanistan. Her social circle grew, and she formed acquaintances with many prominent Afghan politicians and celebrities, including the Afghan pop music artist Ahmad Zahir, who was in particular a close friend. Afghans still recognize her from her years in the spotlight.

[edit] Post-Afghanistan life

She married Mohammad Daoud, a trained commercial pilot, after her Miss Afghanistan crowning with whom she honeymooned in America. In 1979 though, the fame and glory ended. The Soviets invaded Afghanistan, and the next year, Daoud fled with her husband and their infant son, to Germany, leaving behind most of their possessions. After spending some time Germany and with no knowledge of English, the political refugee family arrived at Virginia's Norfolk International Airport and thereafter started the tough task of adjusting themselves in a foreign country.

Zohra made a living out of scrubbing the floors of a French bakery in Richmond despite having a degree in French Literature from Kabul University and her husband contended with working as a cashier at the fast food chain McDonald's and then as a taxi driver before he could restart his flying career. Mohammad Daud is now a pilot for United Airlines.

Over the course of time, the family began taking night classes and English tutorials that helped them better establish themselves in their exile homes. After 20 years of hard work and menial labor, Daoud's husband eventually landed a job as a pilot for United Airlines, where he still works today. Working day and night, they got the rest of their family out of Afghanistan, built a comfortable life and moved to Los Angeles, and eventually in Malibu, California where the Douds currently reside with their three children.

[edit] A social activist

Through out their stay in America, Daoud remained involved in the Afghan-American community, using her spare time volunteering for the her community's cause. In 1996 she co-founded the Afghan Women Association of Southern California, and she still hosts a radio talk show on the 24-hour Voice of Afghanistan.^[2] However, Zohra maintained a low profile about her former beauty queen status until September 11, 2001 when Daoud grew weary of the media's treatment of Afghan women as illiterate, burqa-clad victims, and felt the need to speak out.

In that context, Zohra began her new project Women for Afghan Women, an organization to promote Afghan women's human rights, in April 2001. As a part of that project she also co-authored a book [1] by the same name, that was edited by Sunita Mehta, and also featured contributions from Homaira Mamoor, Gloria Steinem and Eleanor Smeal and others.

Zohra also held negotiations with a Taliban delegation in the United States at the beginning of their rule in 2002, to put the case for liberation for her sisters back home^[3] and has spoken at various Human Rights conventions and conferences, including the Afghan Women's Summit, that was held in Brussels in December 2001.^[4]

In June 2005, she was also speaker at the Afghan Arts & Film Festival organized by Afghan Communicator at California State University, Northridge where she emphasized the importance of Afghan art and culture.^[5]

However despite her efforts, some people have been critical of her for not going back to Afghanistan and practically helping out in rebuilding her strife torn homeland.^[6]

[edit] See also

• Vida Samadzai, Miss Afghanistan 2003
• Afghanistan
• Culture of Afghanistan
• History of Afghanistan
• Political refugees
• List of famous refugees

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Afghan Land.com website
• CNN.com Afghans in America: Isolation and Worry
• 'A TALK WITH': Zohra Yusuf Daoud
• Women for Aghan Women by Sunita Mehta