If only peace were as easy to share as a selfie (opinion)
Sarah Idan
Ask Sarah Idan  Miss Iraq  and Adar Gandelsman  Miss Israel. The two Miss Universe contestants  representing two countries with no diplomatic ties and a difficult history  took a selfie together before the pageant competition this November in Las Vegas -- in which Iraq was competing for the first time in 45 years.
Each young woman posted the photo on Instagram. And now what began as a Vegas quick pic has become anything but fleeting  as  Idan  faces online criticism and real-life physical threats  which she says have led her family in Iraq to flee the country for their safety
"The aim of the photo was an expression of hope for world peace "  Idan  wrote on Instagram after a social media furor erupted in reaction to the selfie.
 Idan 's message of peace could be seen as political on multiple levels.
And yet now  Idan  is a symbol of something else: the aspiring singer and songwriter is becoming a Rorschach test for her fellow Iraqi citizens  for an international media which is closely following her story and  most to the point of this piece  for her judges and jury on social media  which continues to weigh in on her decision to take the picture in the first place.
"It's an honor to be the first woman woman in over 40 years...representing in miss universe 2017 "  Idan  wrote in early November in a post for Facebook . But now that joy has given way to fear as an online mob  quick to react and even faster to weigh in  condemns her act.
Ask  [TGT] Miss Iraq  and Adar Gandelsman  Miss Israel. The two Miss Universe contestants  representing two countries with no diplomatic ties and a difficult history  took a selfie together before the pageant competition this November in Las Vegas -- in which Iraq was competing for the first time in 45 years.
Each young woman posted the photo on Instagram. And now what began as a Vegas quick pic has become anything but fleeting  as   [TGT] faces online criticism and real-life physical threats  which  [TGT]  says have led  [TGT]  family in Iraq to flee the country for their safety
"The aim of the photo was an expression of hope for world peace "  Idan  wrote on Instagram after a social media furor erupted in reaction to the selfie.
 Idan 's message of peace could be seen as political on multiple levels.
And yet now   [TGT] is a symbol of something else: the aspiring singer and songwriter is becoming a Rorschach test for her fellow Iraqi citizens  for an international media which is closely following her story and  most to the point of this piece  for her judges and jury on social media  which continues to weigh in on her decision to take the picture in the first place.
"It's an honor to be the first woman woman in over 40 years...representing in miss universe 2017 "  Idan  wrote in early November in a post for Facebook . But now that joy has given way to fear as an online mob  quick to react and even faster to weigh in  condemns her act.