Organiser of Miss World regrets ban on Muslim women

Miss Malaysia World pageant organiser Anna Lim and four disqualified finalists have voiced surprise and regret over the ban on Muslim women participating in the 2013 beauty contest.

The four finalists – Sara Amelia Bernard, Wafa Johanna de Korte, Miera Sheikh and Kathrina Ridzuan – were dropped from the pageant after criticism from Federal Territory mufti (Islamic scholar) Wan Zahidi Wan Teh that their participation was “sinful”.

“I disqualified the girls because he [Wan Zahidi] posted a comment online saying that these girls are doing something illegal and against Muslim law,” Lim said.

“Out of respect for the religion we had to follow the rules and disqualify the four girls. However, I haven’t actually received a copy of that particular rule before,” she told The Star.

Lim said she had been trying to arrange a meeting with Wan Zahidi to discuss his statement without success so far, but hoped to get a favourable reply.

“If Miss World pageant can be held in Muslim countries such as Indonesia, I don’t see why it cannot be so in Malaysia,” she said.

Sara Amelia, one of the four finalists who were disqualified, expressed disappointment.

“I think it came from a 1996 ruling. However, since then, the first Muslim woman [Rima Fakih] won the title in the United States in 2010. Even the United Kingdom had a Muslim winner [Miss England Hammasa Kohistani in 2006],” the 20-year-old of British Malay and German Iban descent said.

She wanted to know if the ruling also meant that Muslim women were banned from wearing swimsuits and taking part in fashion shows.

Bernard said her reason for joining the pageant was to “promote intellectual women” as the pageant was not about parading in sexy outfits but about charity and personality.

Another contestant who was dropped, 19-year-old Wafa, said she was saddened by the disqualification.

“We were informed at the Miss Malaysia interview that Muslim women are allowed to join,” she said.

“I was so excited that Muslim women are able to represent our country at one of the largest international competitions.

“We were told that all Malay girls will be wearing sports attire in the Malaysian finals and that the swimsuit section was taken out of the whole competition in the Miss World finals,” she added.

Wafa believed the situation had been blown out of proportion. “Steps were already taken to ensure that Malay girls were not put in a position where they had to show off too much skin,” she said.

Former Miss Malaysia Universe of 1978 Yasmin Yusoff also expressed surprise, saying the beauty pageant world had pretty much accepted the fact that Malay girls could not enter the contest.

“In a way it is sad because we have so many beautiful Malay girls out there. But now let’s focus on the girl who is going to win,” she said.

Sisters in Islam (SIS) expressed concern over the reach of 1996 ruling to control public conduct of Muslims in terms of dress and indecency, especially when the organisers had given an assurance that the contestants would wear long pants instead of swimming suits.

Pengerang district MP Azalina Othman questioned why the Miss Malaysia organisers were unaware of the Fatwa ruling. 

“The girls shouldn’t have joined in the first place. The ruling has been known for the past few years,” Azalina said.

“They should also have been more sensitive. It is a sensitive environment right now especially during the fasting month,” she said.