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| India-Pakistan |
| Miss Pakistan's Troubles |
| 2002-09-28 |
| "The government has moved to save the nation from this disgrace," Pakistani daily The News said today in a front page story titled, "Beauty queen or an ultimate disgrace", while carrying the picture of "Miss Pakistan", Neelam Noorani, taking part in the pageant. "Miss Noorani, seen as a disgrace by many Pakistanis, was wearing ceremonial strap prominently inscribing "PAKISTAN", the daily said. Horrors! Quick, Ethel! Hand me my pills! Pakistan government has asked its diplomats in Tokyo to dissuade organisers of Miss International Beauty contest on September 30 from allowing Ms. Noorani to compete as "Miss Pakistan." "Nope. Nope. We simply can't have that. The brazen hussy!" 51 girls from around the world compete for the Miss International crown on September 30 in Tokyo. Pakistani Government's secretary for culture, sports and tourism, Tariq Januja, called it a shameful development. The Pakistani government would not allow it because it was in contrast to Pakistan's social and cultural values, he added. "We cannot allow this," Janjua said adding that such contests were in total "contrast" to the social and cultural values of Pakistan. "Our religion, Islam, also disapproves all such acts," Janjua said "When she returns home she will be punished by gang rape and then probably stoned. Pakistan's social and cultural values allow this, yes, demand this!" The organisers of Miss Pakistan don't seem to be greatly inhibited though. The only concession to Islamic modesty they make is they don't ask contestants to catwalk in a swimsuit. Judges have to use their discretion regarding the physical proportions of the young women in loose clothes covering the body from neck to ankle. "Hop in this here potato sack, girly... Now, your headscarf... No makeup, mind you... Don't forget your veil... Here's your combat boots, so you don't show an ankle... Okay, now go out there and wow 'em!" Much of the outrage in Pakistan is regarding the swimsuit parade mandatory for all international beauty pageants. Pak contest organisers follow the usual Pakistani logic for organising such contests (of course, fully clothed). That would be convoluted and likely illogical logic, right? One of the Pakistani organisers says Pakistan, like India, is a nuclear armed country. If India can have so many beauty queens, why can't we? That is like saying if India can detonate a nuclear bomb, why can't we? The two are obviously linked... I don't see where, but it's obvious they are someplace... Common Pakistanis (that may not include the Westernized class) are horrified at the idea of a Muslim woman walking the ramp in a swimsuit. That is an outrage to the Islamic idea of modesty. And not even chaperoned by a close male relative! The very idea! Pakistan's leading intellectual ... Kind like saying "the Baptist church's leading hooker", isn't it? ... Akbar S Ahmad makes the pertinent point in his book Postmodernism and Islam that the ubiquitous T shirt and blue jeans that conquered much of the world as the preferred casual wear among both young men and women failed to catch up in the Muslim world. That happened, says Ahmad, because the idea of modesty is deeply rooted in the Islamic mind and Muslims flinch from wearing body-hugging clothes. Got big butts, do they? Pakistan's sibling rivalry with India is quite understandable. India does have a number of women who have won beauty contests like Miss Asia, Miss World, and Miss Universe. Young women like Ms. Noorani grew up seeing Indian women winning contest after contest in international pageants. Young Pakistani women like Ms. Noorani wonder if the Indians, who speak the same language, are of the same racial stock, and have the same habits as Pakistanis, can do it, why can't the Pakistanis. Other than the fact that they don't have great, big butts, no reason... There is one distinction, however. Hinduism, like Greco-Roman paganism, is not ideologically opposed to the public display of human form. Hindu iconography often celebrates the beauty of uncovered human figure like the ancient Greeks. In fact, rather moreso. I didn't know the human body could assume some of those positions. Tried one of them once, and threw my back out...! However, in the later ages, practised Hinduism moved towards covering most of a woman's body, and even veiling the face. Something to do with when the Muslims showed up... Unlike Pakistan, India has produced its own share of Miss World and Miss Universe women over the decades. In the 1970s, there were Persis Khambata and Rita Faria; in the 1990s, Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen, who brought home the crown. Then again, they don't come from a country that's crawling with people who think they should be killed for being beautiful... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #1 If three Muslim men rape a woman in a closed room within the "Islamic Republic of Pakistan," Zuna rape laws are unenforceable under Sharia. In fact, victims have been exterminated for making accusations by oath, that were made mute by the enforcement prohibitions. Mushareff has made repeated calls for retention of Sharia, if fact he did so before the JI's fatman, Qazi Hussein Ahmad, earlier this month. |
| Posted by: Allah the Dog Faced God 2002-09-28 10:49:46 |