Miss France Contestant Faces Racist Backlash Over Moroccan Heritage

Less than a week after her crowning, Sabah Aib, who won over the jury and the public with her presence, general knowledge and naturalness, denounced on Instagram being the victim of "a wave of racist hatred" because of her Maghrebi origins. "My name is part of my identity and has nothing to do with my nationality. France is a multicultural country and having a name that comes from elsewhere does not change the fact that I am French. I was born in France, as were my parents. We consider ourselves first and foremost as French. My origins are part of my history, but they do not define who I am," the young woman, born to an Algerian father and a Moroccan mother, said indignantly in a long post.

"Hatred has no place in our society. I will continue to wear this title with pride, determination and respect for all. We are all equal, regardless of our name or origins. These attacks are only a reflection of ignorance and jealousy," insisted the Northerner. A certain fringe of the population fears the eventuality of "seeing a Maghrebi elected Miss France," warned on Saturday Anne-Sophie Sevrette, the regional delegate for Nord-Pas-de-Calais for Miss France, during the election of Sabah Aib. However, the regional committee hoped that the public would focus more on the law student’s background than on her origins. "She is a gem. She has a beautiful story, she is different..." confides Anne-Sophie Sevrette to Paris Match.

The regional Miss France committee, as well as several personalities, have sent messages of support to Sabah Aib after her publication. "Today, the exposure brings easy criticism and people think they have the right to everything. The important thing is to know how to assume. Sabah knows who she is and we know who she is. And we have to be proud of our origins," declared the regional delegate Nord-Pas-de-Calais to La Voix du Nord, stressing that electing a Maghrebi woman as Miss France would be "a strong message". Sabah Aib had a difficult childhood. Raised by her Moroccan-born mother after her father abandoned her, the young woman, who has a sister, dreams of becoming a lawyer specializing in family law. She intends to fight against domestic violence if she succeeds in being elected Miss France 2025 on December 14 next at Futuroscope.