But some Muslim groups are still protesting the pageant — in a creative way. They are holding a pageant of their own in Jakarta.
Mario Ritter tells us about Miss Muslimah 2013.
Twenty Muslim women from six countries competed in the Miss Muslimah pageant this year. All wore hijabs — dresses and scarves that covered their bodies from head to foot. Instead of dancing or singing, the contestants recited Koranic verses for the judges. And they spoke about their beliefs about Islam in the modern world.
Last Wednesday, Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola won the Miss Muslimah pageant. She is 21 years old and from Nigeria. Ms. Ajibola won about $2,000 in prize money and a trip to Mecca and India, where she will help educate children.
The Miss Muslimah pageant promotes a more modest idea of beauty, says Eka Shanti. She founded Miss Muslimah three years ago. Ms. Shanti was an Indonesian television news reporter. But she lost her job because she wanted to wear her headscarf on television.
Ms. Shanti says Miss Muslimah is a peaceful protest against the Western-style Miss World contest.
Andreas Harsono is from the Indonesian branch of Human Rights Watch. He says Miss Muslimah and Miss World are not so different from each other. They are both, he says, beauty contests.
“They are talking about the beauties of women, albeit that this one is branded with Islam, you know, wearing the hijab, etcetera. That it is OK. Meanwhile, if the same argument is being used against them, you know exposing sexualism, of course this Islamic contest can also be branded as an un-Islamic.”
最新
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25