Muslim protesters in Jakarta
Days ago, ABQ suggested that the coronation of Miss World 2013 should not be held in Jakarta but instead be moved to Bali and it looks like Indonesia’s government is working to move the finals to the island paradise. Muslim hardliners, many of them women, had been protesting in the streets in Jakarta, burning effigies of the pageant organizers calling them ‘infidels’. They are protesting the ‘display of women’ which they deem against the Islamic faith.
However, it must be pointed out that Miss World is the only major international beauty pageant that doesn’t have contestants on stage in swimsuits or bikinis. When Miss World founder Julia Morley visited the Philippines in early 2012, she stated that the swimsuit competition of Miss World is always held on the beach or by a poolside because the organization doesn’t think contestants should parade on stage in swimwear.
In spite of this and the move of Miss World organizers to scrap the bikini contest this year in favor of a Balinese Sarong contest, conservative Muslims still continue to push for the cancellation of the event to the dismay of tourism officials who say that the pageant will be good for tourism.
Our representative, Miss World Philippines 2013 Megan Young is also feeling the pinch. She said this in her official Miss World Philippines Facebook:
They told us to wear comfy clothes for rehearsals so I wore my orange Eric Delos Santos dress with my Super Dry wedge sneakers! I was going for a sporty-chic look Only to find out we had to cover up to respect the cultural beliefs in Indonesia. It was all good though because we found our own ways of being sexy without showing skin: CONFIDENCE!! So I put on my Topshop jeans, Zara top, H&M blazer and Aldo boots (with super cute socks underneath hehe) and gold earrings to finish off my outfit. During rehearsals, I was to.d that I was one of the girls chosen to participate in the press conference with several other ladies. I got so excited and pulled out my Kate Middleton inspired dress by Vania Romoff and topped it off with a gold belt and beige heels. We rehearsed all day for the opening ceremony tomorrow which you can watch through livestream at http://missworld.okezone.com/
Megan had to change her orange sexy dress (left) to the more conservative one in the middle…
For the safety of the contestants, pageant organizers should move ALL pageant events to Bali where the Balinese don’t mind tourists in skimpy swimwear. We don’t want a repeat of the violence and deaths that happened in 2002 when Miss World was forced to move the coronation, last minute to London.
Meantime, dear ABQ readers, please keep praying for the safety of all people involved in Miss World from the contestants to the organizers to the people flying in to watch the finals. Let’s also pray for the security folk assigned to protect the girls including our very own Miss World Philippines 2013 Megan Young.
God forbid that the Bali Bombings in 2005 happen again.
