<font color=skyblue>I read that Ms. France will be boycotting the Ms. Universe Pageant because it is being held in a country where a woman will be sentenced to death by Stoning...because she conceived a baby 5 months after her divorce to her husband. The govt. is allowing her to nurse the baby, and in 2004, she will be put to death. Ms. France, repulsed by this news, said that "We are living in the 21st century..." and she thought this punishment was barbaric and wrong. She has called for other ladies participating in the pageant to follow her example.

My thoughts on this are obvious from my thread title. If Ms. France is the only one not there...I think she should be the only candidate worthy of winning...as the boycott is the right thing to do in my opinion. Or move it to another country, at least. Not held in such an evil and stupid place.</font>

Hehe, well that is the best answer to a win! :D

Unfortunately it seems Sweden will send someone down there to strut around..

Hmm, that indeed is an awful situation. What barbaric country is that, Larry?

A controversial topic to say the least.
Well it would definately appear that Ms. France at least has some degree of personality to her and isn't just a pretty face. As to whether she has the right to spit in the face of thousands of years of tradition is another thing entirely (and in a sentence: Yes I think she does have the right [img]smile.gif[/img] ). Personally I agree with her wholeheartedly, but there will be many others who won't.

Er.. Hierophant..

What was your meaning with that post?
Spit in the face of tradition??

What frikkin tradition? Stoning pregnant women??
A neo-muslim country with sharia control is not tradition..

Meaning that execution of women for engaging in extra-marital sex has been present within the region for thousands of years, on and off as various movements and tribes exchange power. I wasn't justifying at all, I think it's disgusting, but it has always been there in some shape or form.

It is in Nigeria (at least they have had two such cases)

Miss France is the 5th or 6th woman to withdraw.


Miss World Nigeria boycott spreads

Two more contestants in the Miss World contest to be held in Nigeria in November have announced they are pulling out in protest at a Sharia death sentence passed on a woman convicted of adultery.

Miss France and Miss Belgium have joined a growing list of the world's beauty queens who have said they will not be going to Nigeria.

Amina Lawal, 30, is due to be stoned to death after giving birth outside marriage. In August, her appeal was rejected by a Sharia court.

The contest will be held in Nigeria this year after Nigerian Agbani Darego became the first black African woman to be crowned Miss World in 2001.

It is also under threat from militant Islamic groups in Nigeria, which call it a "parade of nudity" bound to promote promiscuity and HIV/Aids.

"The Miss France committee is joining the protests against Nigeria, which condemns women to death for adultery. These sentences are barbaric and unacceptable," said Genevieve de Fontenay, head of the Miss France committee.

"I have decided not to take part if Amina Lawal is not freed," Miss Belgium Ann van Elsen told Le Soir newspaper.

Contestants from Denmark, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Norway and Togo have already announced that they will not go to Nigeria unless the death sentence on Ms Lawal is dropped.

However Miss Sweden, Sophia Hedmark, will be using the platform in Nigeria to protest against the harsh Sharia punishments.

''There is nothing to be gained by not going to Nigeria... but I plan to protest against the ruling in interviews with journalists," she said

So has slavey - that doesn't mean that it should be tolerated either

P.S. I glad that Miss Denmark are among those that have chosen to boykott the event.

It's still wrong I know but I should point out that she isn't pregnant.

So has slavey - that doesn't mean that it should be tolerated either
[/QUOTE]

I never said it should be tolerated!!! I'm as much against this as you are!
Jeeze, you try to have a little objectivity, try and see things from both sides and where does it get you? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Well on and off, but now this is Sharia, newly tightened up to try and prevent some of the Aids/Hiv outbreaks. Stoning women hasn´t been a matter of fact down there for thousands of years.

Stealing wives and cattle from your neighbours however was. Right or wrong?

Jeez, Nigeria. Why on earth have a pageant in a godforsaken place like that? Are they trying to encourage radical Muslim countries? Aren't they causing enough trouble, already?

Good point, could be a quick way to get alot of women stoned (not the funny way) in a hurry since showing face and bare legs is against the laws as well..

Could be an intereesting value at the interview part though for once..

The answer is simple. Miss Nigeria won last year's competition and that gives them the right to host it. They were hoping that this wood give a boost to their tourist industry. Much of Nigeria is Christian. Does that mean God has forsaken Nigeria?

<font color="#55aacc"> I am deeply offended by this country's name!!! OOPS wrong thread [img]smile.gif[/img] . I would think that many people would be offended at just the thought of a "beauty" contest, but to support an oppressive and backward country in the process seems like a double whammy. Im with Ms. France.

About the country's religions:

The dominant ethnic group in the northern two-thirds of the country is the Hausa-Fulani, most of whom are Muslim. Other major ethnic groups of the north are the Nupe, Tiv, and Kanuri. The Yoruba people are predominant in the southwest.

About half of the Yorubas are Christian and half Muslim. The predominantly Catholic Igbo are the largest ethnic group in the southeast, with the Efik, Ibibio, and Ijaw (the country's fourth-largest ethnic group) comprising a substantial segment of the population in that area.

As a catholic I feel safe in saying that it is probably NOT the catholic minority calling for the stoning [img]smile.gif[/img] </font>

[ 09-09-2002, 10:21 AM: Message edited by: MagiK ]

Good point, could be a quick way to get alot of women stoned (not the funny way) in a hurry since showing face and bare legs is against the laws as well..

Could be an intereesting value at the interview part though for once..</font>[/QUOTE]The ruling party in Nigeria are Christian. I don't suppose the competition will be held in the Muslim north.

These things died a death in Britain 10 years ago.

Good point, could be a quick way to get alot of women stoned (not the funny way) in a hurry since showing face and bare legs is against the laws as well..

Could be an intereesting value at the interview part though for once..</font>[/QUOTE]<font color="#55aacc"> According to one expert I heard on the radio, the Muslim faith and the Koran do not REQUIRE women to cover their faces, this is supposedly a personal choice to show special devotion. Now since the men tend to be very opressive and possessive of their women, I suppose they probably force a lot of women to cover their faces.</font>

<font color=skyblue> I would be afraid for the safety of any of the beauty queens to go there. I would think those Islamic radicals might try to bomb our girls or something.</font>