|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
You are in: Talking Point: African Debates | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Monday, 2 December, 2002, 15:00 GMT
Miss World fiasco: What next for Nigeria?
The deputy governor of Zamfara state in northern Nigeria has urged Muslims to kill the woman who wrote an article which insulted the Prophet Mohammed, sparking religious riots last week.
Fashion writer Isioma Daniel resigned after writing in the ThisDay newspaper that the Prophet Mohammed may have approved of the Miss World contest and possibly wished to marry one of the beauty queens.
Ms Daniel, who is not a Muslim, has now fled Nigeria. Following protests over the article, more than 200 people were killed in clashes between Muslims and Christians in the northern city of Kaduna.
The Miss World pageant will now be staged in London in December. Earlier, the Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo blamed "irresponsible journalism" for the bloodshed. Do you feel that irresponsible journalism about the Miss World contest was to blame for causing the riots in Kaduna? How will it affect Africa's ability to hold similar events in the future? This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.
Your reaction
I am deeply sorry that so many lives were lost over this event, but perhaps we can now look more carefully at the kinds of messages such pageants give to women and men in the world.
Godwill Awa, London,UK
As a Nigerian I believe the time has come for the North of Nigeria to decide either to subject itself to the Federal Government of Nigeria or to go it alone as an independent Islamic nation, with the South withdrawing its presence from the North. Nigeria needs to cry out and make a stand against intolerance. This high level of intolerance that requires nothing but "a little remark said out of place" to trigger violence. How long must we bear this loss of lives, this chaos and lack of stability in the North?
There is no such thing as irresponsible journalism; however there is such a thing as irresponsible behaviour on the part of those barbarians who disrupted a global event from taking place in Nigeria. I think is about time we divide our country. The south should let the northerners go.
Leslie Steward, Los Angeles, CA
Let me express my utmost opinion about what Nigeria needs. That country needs prayers from both Christians and Muslims and the rest of people need to quit blaming one another. Violence is not new to any nation; even in Bible times there was violence but God has a way of making things well for His children and that is only if we learn how to take it to him in prayers.
Where does this idea that hosting the Miss World contest is against Nigerian traditions come from? If last year Miss Nigeria was crowned Miss World then obviously Nigeria does hold beauty pageants, don't they? They had to elect her in some way. It would have been better for the Nigerian reputation to make headlines for a silly event like Miss World than for riots and hatred that killed hundreds. I come originally from the Former Yugoslavia and I am enormously happy whenever I see my country Croatia mentioned in the media for our sport achievements and natural beauty, as for years it was in the news only because of the war.
Prince Edet E. Eno, Chicago, USA
It is rather unfortunate that this resulted in riots. However, it is high time the whole world knew that Islam is not just a religion but actually a way of life. If this is understood, then Muslims are easy to deal with.
It was not irresponsible journalism that caused the riots, it was a weak government too scared to put its foot down and stamp out fanatics.
Oghogho Eguakun, Nanaimo, Canada
I am a Nigerian married to a Norwegian.
Kaduna has been known to be a volatile town with lots of violence. Very little things develop into wars. Lots of people have died for no just cause in that city. So I feel it was the worst city to have a Miss World competition. The Nigerian organisers should have known better.
The article written by the journalist was probably the wrong thing to say at a very wrong time. Would Prophet Mohammed, under the circumstances, approve of the riots carried out by groups of Muslim extremists that caused the death of 200 people?
Solomon, Alberta, Canada
I think the reaction was borne more out of frustration than religious reasons. In a country where the majority struggles with poverty and unemployment, the spending of money on what in comparison can be regarded as a frivolous production is too much for the disgruntled, unsatisfied masses to tolerate. I certainly think Nigeria had no business hosting that pageant in the first place.
Well, the whole saga has been interpreted the way leaders wanted to present it. There has been always hidden desire of religious leaders to be heard and get recognised for their bookish theology. Once again ignorance and hatred has won the battle. What a pity for a so-called learned world.
Peter Anyasi, Paris, France
In my opinion the lady misused
the platform to acquire fame by
throwing her insulting remarks on
the Prophet. The reaction aftermath was
obvious. No religious community
can tolerate such insults.
It was irresponsible journalism yes, but if I had read the same about Jesus, at worst I would have prayed and sent a terse letter to the editor to spare us from such thick, stupid and bimboistic journalism.
Personally, I think the people involved in the rioting were just looking for an excuse and the newspaper article provided them with one. Miss World is just a silly little beauty pageant that Miss Nigeria happened to win last year.
Sabella Abidde, Mankato, Minnesota, USA
In the past I have been a staunch supporter of Islam. When violence has occurred in the name of Islam I have been one of the first to explain that this is not really a part of their religion and that it is the circumstances that have caused the problem and not Islam itself. Lately however I have come to the conclusion that even though Islam itself is not a violent religion the way it is being practiced today certainly is violent. The latest fatwa that has been released calling for the death of the journalist who wrote the article that sparked the riots adds credence to this conclusion. Islam may not have started as a religion of violence and intolerance, but it has certainly developed into one.
Kwame Antwi, Accra, Ghana
Irresponsible journalism? Ha!
I would call it irresponsible rioting!
The press has a lot to answer for in this tragedy. From the UK headlines I was to believe that Muslims were rioting purely due to the fact that the Miss World contest was being held in their country, however it was a offensive article which was the real source of their anger. ThisDay has a lot of responsibility for allowing this article to be published in the first place, and yes the writer of the article should not, in my opinion, have put pen to paper in such a volatile country. That said the World press should consider how it presents the story, as they have a responsibility to the whole community as well.
Many posters excuse this violence by pointing out that Muslims were offended during Ramadan. When did Muslims become mindless savages, incapable of reason? Last time I checked, Islam was one of the world's great civilizations. What happened?
Amara Okwodu, Nigeria
I am amazed at the number of comments that seem to lay any blame on the media or Miss World for this catastrophe. Fully 100% of the blame belongs to the fundamentalist leaders who incited the ignorant, desperate masses to a murderous frenzy. Why are they allowed to use the teachings of Islam as justification for their despicable behaviour? When will all Muslims speak with one voice to silence the extremists who are truly humiliating their faith?
Dagmar Henn, Munich, Germany
Nigerians shouldn't have rioted and killed but it was ridiculously insensitive for the organisers to put Miss World in a country that was already unsettled by secular/Christain/Muslim clashes, and during Ramadan. people say Muslims should not be intolerant of others, but by ignoring Nigerian Muslims other Nigerians were being intolerant of Muslim wishes.
This is just one more example of the religious tensions that exist in the world and of how volatile they are. People, especially the media, should think twice about what they say or print. This type of behaviour can't be blamed on just one group. Everyone shares a degree of responsibility: the people that printed the article, the people that rioted and the people pointing fingers. It is time for the madness to end.
Femi, Lagos, Nigeria
What I found most offensive was that in TV and radio interviews the organisers and contestants seemed more concerned about the competition continuing, than about the many that had died. They seem so wrapped up in the artificial world they live - the fact that so many died has passed them by. Surely they should have cancelled the event as a mark of respect?
Here is another case of a religious group letting their passions get out of control causing great destruction. Now innocents have to pay the price just because a group wants to relieve their anger by destroying communities that everyone builds.
I still think the beauty pageant should not have been moved to London. Nigeria has been looking for an opportunity to showcase its culture and other attractions to the world. This was our chance. Really, the contestants were not in harm's way. That part of the north is noted for its volatility. I also lay blame on the doors of our dear president who should have taken immediate decisive steps in quelling the riots even at the initial stages. It should never have been allowed to degenerate to the extent that it did.
Chike Akagha, Asmara Eritrea
To those who think the show should be cancelled: as one of the organisers pointed out, it's the violence that should stop, not Miss World.
As a Muslim from the northern part of Nigeria I feel I have a right to state my case. When I was growing up I was taught to respect the religious beliefs of others - so why should mine not be respected? I think the writer of the newspaper article should have known that there are tensions about religion. I know both Muslims and Christians that have died in this conflict and I think the media is giving the wrong view about the whole event. There were protests in Kaduna, Abuja, Lagos and Ibadan - so how can they blame the 'northern Muslim youths'? I think Nigeria was not right to host the contest because we had not addressed our own local issue. What kind of logic do you use to justify hosting the contest when 70% of your population are below the poverty line and you don't provide your people with the basic amenities?
The contest should have been held in the real capital (Lagos) in the first place. This would never have happened there.
It has not yet been mentioned that last year's Miss World is Nigerian. I believe this was a major reason, along with positive publicity for the country, why the Nigerian government agreed to host the event. What kind of statement would it have made to not allow Nigeria to host a beauty contest because of potential Muslim violence? Also, the premise put forth above that this beauty contest was an intentional "humiliation" of the Islamic people of the world is horrifying and infuriating. It appears that Muslim Fundamentalists love to feel "humiliated"; it gives them the justification to kill and to destroy lives and property in the name of avenging their religion.
The competition should have remained in Nigeria. I support Muslim people's right to religious belief, but no religion should be allowed to impose its beliefs on others. If Muslims don't like Miss World (and personally I think it's out-dated and dull) then they can boycott it, but hard-line Muslims must learn to accept that other people have a right to see the world differently. By running away from Nigeria, they have allowed intolerance to win.
Lako Lukudu, Sudan
I cannot understand why the organisers would choose Nigeria in the first place. To echo some of the comments already made, surely it would have made more sense to choose a country where a pageant like Miss World would be more relevant to the local population.
Michael Grice, Singapore
Knowing how this Muslim nation thinks and their customs, this whole event shows a lack of respect for this country. We should respect the traditions of these nations.
The problem stems from a lack of education and the resulting poverty that these people live under. The Nigerian government needs to bring corruption under control and re-direct funding towards educating the entire population of what is arguably Africa's most promising nation. With education and the opportunity to work their way out of poverty, people will see that there are better ways to improve one's lot in life than by turning to religious fanaticism and violence.
Deji Ogundero, London, England
I am appalled that the contest is still going ahead. Human decency surely calls for cancellation out of respect for those who have died. I have no doubt that, had these deaths occurred in USA, the show would immediately have been cancelled. Are African lives somehow of less value?
The decision to move the Miss World contest out of Nigeria is a very stupid decision. The Miss World contest could have gone ahead either in Port Harcourt or in Lagos. The riots in Kaduna has very little to do with the contest. The Muslims in Kaduna and indeed in northern Nigeria have seized every little opportunity to unleash terror and violence all in the name of religion. The fact that the violence have continued even after the contest was shifted to London is a pointer in this direction. We in the south have had enough of this Nigeria madness. The earlier the country is broken up the better or else something worse than what Yugoslavia experienced may happen.
Religion is a sensitive issue and media should not be allowed to comment on it in the name of freedom of speech. It is hard to find any derogatory reference to other faiths or religious personalities by any Islamic institution/media. It is time others also show some respect. No one objects to a beauty contest. Indeed it is the individual's choice to attend and watch it. But such events should not be allowed as a platform to play with the feelings of others.
Miriam, Wales
This is utter foolishness, we all have to live with offences. Running the streets and killing hundreds of people is madness. People's religious beliefs are attacked everyday if we all reacted this way we would have finished each other by now. Since Sept. 11 many Islamic apologists have stressed the fact that Islam is being given a bad name because of the actions of some people. Well, it's time Muslims around the world start proving those statements because the reality is that much of the Muslim world would have reacted the same as these ones in northern Nigeria did.
The leaders of the country had to invited the pageant to be held there. They don't just converge on an unsuspecting community! I surprised they agreed to go to a country that stones women for adultery! The article in question was an editorial! Which means it was mostly opinion! Once again the peaceful followers of Islam have gone on a slash and burn because others don't think the way they want them to!!
Moving the pageant to London is good and bad. Good in the sense that there is no point in endangering the lives of innocent foreigners and Nigerians was not worth it, and anyway no one would have been interested in coming to a turbulent nation for some event. It is rather saddening though that the development of a country can be determined by a provincial and illiterate group who believe that burning a few churches, cars, buildings and killing and maiming people would always get them what they want. This annulled pageant is an eye-opener that it has to stop, if Nigeria wants to move ahead.
However, it is known that Nigeria is a country with a large Muslim population. It is known that in several states, Muslims have become very assertive. It is known that there is currently significant tension in Nigeria as some states adopt the Sharia. It is also known that Muslims are currently observing Ramadan, when pleasures of the flesh along with other pleasures are shunned. Why, then would the contest be held in Nigeria? Either stupid or provocative.
The fashion in which the Muslims rioted was both predictable and foolish. A rational opposition would have greater effect. The loss of lives was their own. What greater value was protected? A reasoned opposition would find many supporters. The contest is opposed by many as anti-women.
What frustrates me is the argument that the media pays little attention to what caused the riots, specifically the offensive letter about the Prophet Mohammed. While in hideous distaste, how does that justify violent protest - why don't you fight back with words, instead of killing people?
Why didn't the organizers use a degree of common sense in the current climate? They were warned with petitions and threats worldwide. If one life could have been saved by avoiding further tension then this should have been employed. And the "enlightened new breed of strong women" will they be declaring world peace as they are crowned?
Nigeria is a disgrace to the whole world. I don't see reason why our so-called President, Olusegun Obasanjo, is allowing all these mass killing. I am suggesting that the country should be divided so that Peace will reign.
Mukhtar, New York Being a Nigerian who spent most of his youth in the middle-belt and the North, I am greatly disappointed that our youths were incited to savage riots. Those killed or severely injured were innocent and had nothing to do with Miss World. The cause of the riot reveals that you have a population of young people who can and are ready to vent their hate and poverty when incited. The root cause is two-fold: chronic unemployment and imbalance in the distribution of wealth. The government should begin a massive media promotion that will educate the masses and eventually make them see the ways out of poverty through cooperation and use of their resources. Clerics that incite their laity to violence should be defrocked and jailed.
May God comfort the bereaved, bring healing to the hurt and give wisdom and great courage to Nigerian leaders to utilize the vast resources in benefiting the population.
Fola Balogun, Hillside/New Jersey USA
I see people are jumping at the chance to criticize my religion and at the same time criticize Nigeria - a country they know absolutely nothing about. I do not know whether the contest should go ahead in Nigeria or not, but just to clarify the riots were over an extremely offensive article written about the Prophet Muhammad not over the contest.
I am astonished by some of the people on this list calling what the Muslim youths did a "protest". A protest is when you object to something - for example, demanding a retraction and apology by the newspaper that published the offending lines; a "protest" is not the murdering of over 100 innocent people. It doesn't matter to me whether someone is Muslim, Christian, Hindu or Jewish, fanaticism is always a license to use religion as an excuse for the most horrific acts.
Isn't it about time that the Miss World contest was scrapped completely? Most of the western world considers it to be a joke anyway. It has long been considered degrading to women to parade around in bathing costumes for the titillation of men. Who could possibly even consider that a country that is capable of sentencing a woman to death by stoning for having an illegitimate child would not be offended by this contest? The death of 100 people is an unacceptable price to pay for a pageant that really has no place in modern society.
Ruthuku, Goteborg, Sweden
It was a very poor decision to have a beauty contest in a Muslim nation. I am not surprised of the resulting rioting. The Muslim people of Nigeria as well as surrounding Muslim nations need to understand that their are other people on this planet who do not necessarily have the same beliefs as them and that if somebody offends them in any way that rioting and violence is not the answer.
The idea of Nigeria hosting this nudity pageant is of course to humiliate the Muslims, as this is an era when the whole world turns against Islam and the values it carries. It appears all the people freely breathing the air provided by Allah, have values they wish to cherish and rights to uphold, except the Muslims. They are always humiliated, and when they claim their rights they are terrorists and violent people. I don't condone violence and I prefer a more better and peaceful way of treating issues of this nature, but do our governments realise anything to be serious before the occurrence of violence? We the women folk should tell the world that we are not in this world to be traded with and always be at the 'mercy' of those unscrupulous advertising corporations.
I am appalled at sad loss of life in Nigeria. This conflict has nothing to do with religion and all to do with politics. As a practising Muslim, I see no serious problem in someone making an insensitive comment about the religion or our Prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him, and then realising mistake and apologising. In any event, there is no room for random killings which are totally abhorrent and against teachings of Islam and Christianity. Sooner people live with each other as people and respect humanity, sooner we can be called humans.
Sam Egwu
I suspect that the riots are systematic of a deeper tension within Nigeria, rather then one the Miss World contest. The continued on-going of many monetary scams is reflective of a country whose political and social structures are meeting only the needs of an elite.
Nigeria has just lost her chance to host
the Football World Cup in 2008.
Linda, Kaduna, Nigeria
Don't let the people of the world see Nigeria through the eye's of this evil we are seeing on our TV screen's. This is not the way the majority of Nigerian people behave. Having lived in Nigeria for many years I found the Nigerian's to be good people, this is not the way most Nigerian's want the world to see their country.
The decision to cancel the beauty pageant show in Nigeria is not primarily because Muslim religious followers in Nigeria are against the show. The riots, which led to the decision to cancel the show, was sparked off by irresponsible journalism. How on earth could an educated editor allow such an offensive portion (referring to Prophet Mohammed) in his article to go out without expecting what we are all seeing in a religiously divided and polarized country, Nigeria? The journalist (who actually wrote the offensive article) and the editor who failed in his unique duty of editing, should all be reprimanded for setting this up. Certainly, Nigeria has not only lost another opportunity to showcase its cultural heritage as a people, but also lost another golden opportunity to align itself with the rest of the civilized world.
I commend the pageant organisers for moving the event to London, and I hope and pray that the Muslims there won't start another "war". The Muslims as a people must always remember that the whole world cannot go by their rules. I just find this intolerance unacceptable, and if the world is to be a better place for everyone, then Muslims surely need to leave Christians and their "unholy" events alone. If one feels the Miss World is such a useless event, then don't take part and don't watch it!! Isn't it that simple, rather than to kill and maim innocent people?
How could it not be right to pull out? The beauty contest set off Muslim riots in which at least 100 persons were murdered. Keeping the contest there would have led to more killings. In any case, no international event, whether beauty contest, athletic games, or political summit meeting, belongs in a country so barbaric that they stone adulterers to death.
Harry, Atlanta, USA
I agree with Harry from Atlanta, USA. Why are you just blaming the Muslims? The riots were sparked off by a newspaper peace which deeply offended Muslims, at a time when they are observing the Muslim holy month of Ramadhaan. Yet no mention of this anywhere in your news piece or indeed this Talking Point. If you can't be accurate then don't bother to report it in the first place.
Clearly the safety of the participants is overrides all other considerations. It was wise to stop it being held in Nigeria. Clearly the population needs to seek out how they intend to live together before they become fit enough to host any international events in the future. Nigeria has been weighed in the balance and found wanting...
A beauty pageant and a predominantly Muslim population seem like an oil-water mix. With all we're currently learning about Islam, how could a planning committee seriously expect such a community to tolerate such an event? Although the Nigerian people are responsible for the primal violence, the Pageant bears the responsibility for the clash of cultures. It should never have happened.
Being a Muslim myself, I am ashamed that my co-religionists would act in such an intolerant way. Though I do not agree with the Miss World pageant myself (I find it to be a sexist anachronism), I do not feel that it is every Muslim's religious obligation to police those around us, Muslim or non-Muslim, and force them to abide by one strict interpretation of the faith. Religion is personal, and if you judge someone else's action to be impious then you may consciously refrain from taking part. Muslims continuously acting this way is bad enough, but educated Muslims in the West blindly trying to defend such ignorant actions is disgraceful.
Joy Ngakwe, Abuja, Nigeria
The organizers of Miss World beauty contest are not foolish. Nigeria was intentionally chosen for the Miss world beauty contest in order to humiliate the Muslims of Nigeria. The Muslim world is a sleeping Lion, but if the west keeps antagonizing it I am afraid it will wake up and a lot of people will be hurt.
Having worked in Afghanistan under the Taleban and currently in Aceh, Indonesia, which is also strongly conservative Muslim I am not overly sympathetic to militant Islam, or any other militancy for that, as invariably it is the common people who suffer. At the same time however I have to say that the organisers of the pageant, by picking Nigeria as the host country, have shown crass insensitivity to local religious views.
The riots in Nigeria against Miss World should be condemned. For the Miss World organisers to say it has nothing to do with the contest is insensitive. The newspaper article was merely the spark that exploded the resentment created by the attitudes of the contestants to the Sharia judgement on Amina Lawal. I do not want anybody stoned, but the idea of a beauty pageant condemning deeply held religious beliefs, rather than appealing for change, is naive. There was no way the Muslim authorities would have let it go unchallenged after their most cherished ideals were rubbished internationally. They needed a face saving solution.
Elise, California, USA I am mostly appalled by the hostile public opinion about anything to do with this country. Especially the unbalanced opinions of many Westerners, who have never set one foot in this massive continent, let alone visit Nigeria. They do not understand the culture, and yet they shoot e-opinions from the hip. I suggest they either come and see for themselves how generally very friendly, sociable and God abiding the people of Nigeria. I feel safer in Port Harcourt in the middle of the night after visiting some of the excellent and vibrant live music places than at 8pm in Soho in London, any evening.
Miss World is still a total joke, nobody is interested in it. The only public interest here is "how much will the entrants annoy the staunch locals".
Being a Nigerian and a non-Muslim, it pains me to see my fellow countrymen acting in such an unruly manner. I couldn't care less about the Miss World contest.
Y Olatatunbosun, Ibadan, Nigeria
Nigeria is a secular country. If the Muslims are complaining my question is: what percentage of the Nigerian population is Muslim? What does the Nigerian constitution say about the religious state of Nigeria? What percentage of the contestants are Muslim? I strongly feel these questions need to be addressed and serious consideration should be given to the contents of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. All this noise is by a set of people who declare they stand for peace yet use every available opportunity to cause trouble. It's unfortunate. Don't however think the competition should be stopped.
All other issues aside, who in heaven's name was responsible for staging this inflammatory event in a city where thousands have died as a result of the prevailing religious divide? This seems the ultimate in corruption to me - who's making the money here?
N Bolly, Bogota, Colombia
The part of Nigeria where the riot is being staged is an historic hot spot for such an activity. It does not reflect the entire sentiment and emotion of the general Nigerian people.
Being a Muslim I find it extremely offensive that our beloved Prophets name is involved in this totally frivolous activity! I'm not surprised at the reaction of the Muslim youths. Any religious community would have protested.
The purpose of "Miss World" is profit and therefore, the promoters will find a way to justify compromising morality by showing complete disrespect for the deeply held values of others. Whether you are a Christian, a Muslim or a Jew, there is only one planet and we should all be praying that we can find a way to get along with other before it's too late. I put peace ahead of a beauty contest.
I can't believe that they have not cancelled the event!. We have to comprehend that a high percentage of Nigeria's population is opposed to such type of event, even if we disagree with their hatred and violence, we need to respect their ways a little. If they proceed with the event, after more than 50 people have died, the Miss World pageant will be viewed as a participant in these tragic events that are happening in Nigeria. Chart a plane and send the bimbos to Venezuela where they glorify this type of degrading events!
Isn't it time that organizers admit that it was, to put it mildly, a mistake to even consider Nigeria as an appropriate venue for a western-style beauty pageant? Were organizers offered significant financial incentives to hold the contest in Nigeria?
I'm no fan of radical religion, but finally, here is something Muslims and Christians can agree on: women prancing around on a stage showing off their bodies for petty judgement is offensive. Come on, it's not like it's purely a talent contest with all the women in tasteful evening gowns playing concertos.
Civil disobedience is one matter, but riots and senseless murder are another altogether. To be disgruntled by something that one does not agree with is acceptable, but to behave in such an abominable manner is completely ridiculous.
The Miss World Contest should be moved based on the violence already confronting the people of Nigeria. I do not fault the women of the Miss World contest, but it was thoughtless of those in charge of the timing. Ramadan is a very important and serious event for Muslims and should not be taken lightly by Non-Muslims. Lets avoid violence where we can.
With the Red Cross reporting 50 deaths in the wake of riots stemming from religious friction, the prudent course would be to move to another venue. If one life can be saved by reducing tensions, a timely rescheduling is undoubtedly the answer.
The whole idea of beauty contest should be scrapped. It just goes to show how advertising companies manipulate women as cheap commodities to be paraded naked in public.
I couldn't care less about the Miss World Contest or Nigeria for matter. But pray tell, is there any form of Western human endeavour, activity or thought that doesn't cause "affront" to Muslims?
I can't say I'm a big fan of such competitions I do think its rather absurd that the Islamic community is taking it so hard, surely tolerance of varying religious beliefs should go both ways. Why shouldn't non Muslims have the right to do things during Ramadan, no one is forcing the Muslims to attend Miss World, they don't even have to talk about it if they don't want to.
I see the religion of peace and tolerance is at it again.
Yes it should go ahead but I think there are more enlightened countries to hold it in. The place of women in a Muslim society is well documented and with the wave of 'fundamentalism' sweeping the world I would have chosen a more hospitable country.
People really need to lighten up. Killing and rioting over a stupid beauty pageant? If it weren't so serious and tragic, it would be hilarious. Those who don't approve of beauty pageants don't have to participate or watch. It's that simple.
|
|
Top African Debates stories now:
Links to more African Debates stories are at the foot of the page.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|
 E-mail this story to a friend |
|
 |
|
Links to more African Debates stories |
|
|
|
||
 |
||||
 |
|
Back to top
|
||
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To BBC Sport>> | To BBC Weather>> | To BBC World Service>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © MMIII | News Sources | Privacy |
~RS~a~RS~International~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~16~RS~)
The government must bring everyone involved in this act of vandalism to book
49.23% 
50.77% 
