Tunisian wins Muslim answer to Miss World : January 11: Dressed in headscarves and judged partly on their knowledge of the Koran, 18 finalists took part in a beauty contest with a difference in Indonesia on Friday – one exclusively for Muslims, and seen as a riposte to Western beauty pageants. With a doctor and a computer scientist among their number, the final contenders in the World Muslimah Award paraded in glittering dresses against the backdrop of world-renowned ancient temples for the contest in the worlds most populous Muslim-majority country. But they were being judged not only their appearance but also on how well they could recite verses from the Koran and their views on Islam in the modern world. We want to see that they understand everything about the Islamic way of life – from what they eat, what they wear, how they live their lives, said Jameyah Sheriff, one of the organisers. The eventual winner was a 25-year-old computer scientist from Tunisia, Fatma Ben Guefrache, whose prize included a gold watch, a gold dinar and a mini pilgrimage to Mecca. May almighty Allah help me in this mission, and free Palestine, please, please, free Palestine and the Syrian people, she said in a tearful acceptance speech. The World Muslimah Award first drew global attention in 2013 when organisers presented it as a peaceful protest to Miss World, which was taking place around the same time on the resort island of Bali. While it remains popular in some countries, British-run Miss World has faced frequent accusations that it is degrading to women, and a round in which contestants pose in bikinis has been a lightning rod for criticism. In an effort to appease hardliners, Miss World organisers axed the bikini round for the Bali edition, but the event still sparked demonstrations from Islamic radicals who dubbed it a whore contest. Headscarves not scary British contestant Dina Torkia said she hoped this years World Muslimah Award would not only provide a contrast to Western beauty pageants, but would also dispel prejudices against Islam. I think the most important thing is to show that we are really normal girls, we are not married to terrorists. This scarf on my head isnt scary, she told AFP. However, the 2014 pageant has faced challenges, with seven finalists dropping out and others struggling with Indonesias complex bureaucracy to obtain visas. Most who pulled out did so because their families did not want them to travel alone, Sheriff said. The Indian contestant missed her initial flight as she was being questioned by officials who were suspicious of a woman travelling alone and wearing a headscarf, although she managed to get on a plane later. Others have gone to great lengths to take part in the fourth edition of the event, with Masturah Binte Jamil quitting her teaching job in Singapore after her employer would not give her time off to participate. Organisers hope to present positive role models for Islamic women around the world and the contestants, who are aged between 18 and 27, include a newly qualified doctor from Bangladesh. But not everyone was enjoying the final rounds, with Britains Torkia saying her initial optimism had turned into disappointment.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 02:53:00 +0000
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