Posted on 06/15/2004 12:04:42 PM PDT by freepatriot32
SHAITIYA, Lebanon (June 15) - A Lebanese woman who has documents saying she was born in 1877 -- making her at least 126 years old -- could be the oldest person in the world.
Hamida Musulmani, frail and wrinkled but still working on her family's farm in south Lebanon, showed Reuters this week a document from Lebanon's 1932 census which lists her birth year as 1877.
She feels well, she said, but complained of failing sight.
Local officials said her papers were authentic, although they date from a year when she would already have turned 55.
If the census papers are accurate, Musulmani would now be four years older than the oldest person officially documented -- a Frenchwoman who died seven years ago at the age of 122.
Musulmani comes from a Shi'ite Muslim farming family. Documents show her husband Ali was born in 1890, which would have made him 13 years younger than his wife. He died in 1960.
Musulmani said she had stopped eating meat many years ago. Though her family grows and dries tobacco, she does not smoke.
"I only eat what I grow," she said. "I am fine, it is only my eyes that cannot see properly."
She says she has about 100 descendants, the youngest of whom is 10 months old.
The world's longest-lived person with reliable documentation was Jeanne-Louise Calment of France, who died in 1997 aged 122 years and 164 days, according to the Guinness Book of World Records
My Mother is 83 and doesn't want ANYONE to know her age. I told her that if I live to be 83 I will lie about my age and tell people I am 93 so they will think I sure look good for my age.
At 126, I don't think the head-scarf is necessary anymore.
Occam's Razor.
Is it more likely that this woman married a man 13 years younger than her (somewhat taboo even in western cultures, much more so in the Middle East) or is it more likely that someone is trying to claim false glory and this woman is mostly likely 20-30 years younger than she actually claims?
lol!
Helen Thomas is not older but she is unquestionably uglier.
Good to know her ears see just fine...
Interesting how the long-lived (even if she's not 126, she's still old) seem to have two trends - they are very active for their ages, and they eat right.
How in the hell do we verify that?? all the women from over there look like they are in their 90's.
wow... another Mohammed
Lucky for her she’s not worth a couple of hundred million or else Kerry would be knocking at her door.
Hope slick willy isn't doing a book signing anywhere around there.
He thought that mummy was a hottie...he'd go balistic over this babe.
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