Afghan woman trades burqa for bikini
An Afghan student has caused a storm in her home country by parading in a bikini as Miss Afghanistan at an international beauty pageant in the Philippines.
The 25-year-old Afghan woman, Ms Vida Samadzai, who studies at the University of California, exchanged her head-to-toe burqa, traditional Islamic attire, for saucy swimwear at the Miss Earth competition in Manila.
Despite the defeat of the ultra-orthodox and highly authoritarian Taliban regime two years ago, the new powers in Afghanistan, arguably still the most conservative Islamic country in the world, were enraged over the public display.
The Supreme Court said Wednesday appearing “naked” in beauty contests was fundamentally un-Islamic and contrary to Afghan “tradition, human honour and dignity,” the state news agency Bhakter reported.
The last time an Afghan woman competed in any international beauty contest was 1972.
Ms Samadzai said she took part in the contest to confront the image of Afghan women as hidden and submissive. She said Afghan women were “talented, intelligent and beautiful.”
“We are one of the people who can make a difference in this world,” she added.
The Miss Earth contest attracted women from about 60 countries, including representatives from Muslim-dominant states such as Lebanon and Malaysia.
The winners will be chosen on November 9th.
