Beirut Airport – Miss Lebanon, Yasmina Zaytoun, who recently won the title of Miss Asia and first runner-up for Miss World, returned to Beirut this afternoon where she was welcomed at Rafic Hariri International Airport by Caretaker Tourism Minister Walid Nassar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of LBC, Pierre al-Daher, and a large crowd of media professionals, family and friends.
In his welcoming word, Nassar said: ‘In the name of the Lebanese, in the name of all our Arab brothers, and in the name of the world, we welcome Yasmina Zaytoun, Miss Asia and Oceania, and first runner-up for Miss World.’
Addressing Zaytoun, he said: ‘You have brought joy back to the Lebanese with your steadfastness and belief in what you are doing, and you have set new standards in this global competition that women are not limited to their external beauty.’
Nassar considered that with her commendable performance, Zaytoun managed to prove to the judges, organizers and public opinion the strong dedication, intelligence and educa
tion of a woman who has faith in what she is doing. ‘Although this road was difficult and long, but with your strong will, you were able to reach,’ he added, congratulating Zaytoun and hoping to be able to celebrate in her hometown of Kfarshouba in the beloved Lebanese south.
For her part, Zaytoun thanked everyone who shared her joy and said: ‘I tried with all my might to convey our voice as Lebanese, because Lebanon deserves everything that is beautiful.’
She continued: “Through you, I say that this is the Lebanon whose image we want to show to the world, the Lebanon that does not surrender, the strong and beautiful Lebanon despite everything that we have been endured.”
She added: ‘As a Lebanese woman, I tried to convey our voice and to show people what Lebanese and Arab women mean…Arab women are not solely limited to appearance and women are not only about external beauty.’
Zaytoun referred to the content and message that she carries as a Lebanese lady, saying, ‘I have never been afraid to convey our
message as Lebanese and Arabs and everything we are going through in Lebanon, from the south to the north. This is Lebanon, which deserves all the devotion, and Lebanon deserves not only first runner-up title, but that of the entire world.’
Finally, Zaytoun thanked the Minister of Tourism and LBC for their support and her family who believed in her from the very beginning.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon