SAUDI ARABIA: An inner-beauty pageant

Forget about backless evening gowns. Don't even think of a swimsuit competition. Two hundred Saudi girls are instead polishing their virtue in preparation for Saturday’s launch of the only beauty contest in the staunchly conservative kingdom.

The Saudi pageant focuses entirely on “inner beauty.” This is keeping in line with the strict Islamic beliefs and traditions of a country where women are forbidden to drive, and appear in public draped in a black robe with a headscarf and often with their faces completely covered.

The aim of the Saudi beauty contest, which will crown the winner “Miss Beautiful Morals,” is to highlight women’s commitment to the values of Islam and not her physical attributes, according to a report published Wednesday by the Associated Press.

For the next 10 weeks, contestants will be observed by female judges who will inquire about their devotion to their parents, their personalities and inner strengths. The winner will be announced in July. 

 

The organizer of the contest, Khadra Mubarak, told the AP:  

"The idea of the pageant is to measure the contestants' commitment to Islamic morals.... It's an alternative to the calls for decadence in the other beauty contests that only take into account a woman's body and looks…. The winner won't necessarily be pretty.… We care about the beauty of the soul and the morals."

This is the second time the contest is being held in Saudi Arabia. 

-- Raed Rafei in Beirut 

Photo: Contest organizer Khadra Mubarak, back, goes over information about the Miss Beautiful Morals pageant at her office in Safwa, Saudi Arabia. The winner will be chosen based on her commitment to Islamic values and her devotion to her parents. Credit: Nissreen Aldar / Associated Press

Comments

[Pcallme]

Saudi Girl is the best in the world for ever !!

[MissCuba]

Very interesting post! It's good that beauty contests are organized for women in Arab countries. These beauty pageants are very popular all over the world, especially in the US. One of the most well known is Miss Cuba, held every year in Miami, Florida!

[Gabe]

A lady friend said to me once that women understand inner beauty but that it helps not to their selfs if no one can see it,admire it and desire it.

[Max]

As long as they keep their Islamic ways of life in their own country and not bring them here, I don't care what they do. It doesn't belong in North America. This contest is a joke. Leave it there along with anything Muslim.

[jason]

The losers will be stoned to death.

Then the winner will be stoned to death.

[john]

The US is NOT in debt to SA in the trillions. Where do you get your information? It is incorrect.

[Kacki]

Someone said to stop sending money to SA ..........
What?

Have you any idea, that US is in debt with SA, in trillions.

Live your culture, and let them live their. If the women there are not happy, let them do something about it.

[CA]

I wonder if Perez Hilton will ask about Same-Sex-Marriage in Saudi Arabia?

[Javier]

Hey You know if your lady doesn't win you can stone her to death or at least get all your pals to hold her down and beat her with a stick.

[Mhmd Jamil]

"Religion of Peace in Another Not-What-You-Think Shocker!" :

""Islamic Morals" = oxymoron"

Care to expand on this? Why is Islamic morals an oxymoron? You think that everyone who follows Islam is immoral? Have you read the Qu'ran? Have you met enough people to come to such a conclusion? It really disturbs me that people can make such ignorant statements. It brings me little hope that humans will ever find peace.

[Connie D.]

What "morals" is Khadra Mubarak talking about? Women living as prisoners and second class citizens in their country and their household? What is so "beautiful" about it ? How is being wrapped in masked as if she has the plague better than appearing half naked in the "Western" beauty contest? What a joke!

[msladygee]

I understand and appreciate the pageant's purpose - to judge based on inner beauty as opposed to physical beauty, however; this pageant does not erase the fact that women in Saudi Arabia are treated poorly and have no rights. If you want to impress the rest of the world regarding the Saudi lifestyle how about allowing women to vote and participate in Saudi society as intelligent and respected human beings.

[Gus]

I'll pick the hot girl in the black robe and headscarf.

[john]

sexy

[John Fasoldt]

Man, that's funny. What a waste of time. The boys in Arabia will be checking out the latest Playboy, not this thing.

What a joke!

[Religion of Peace in Another Not-What-You-Think Shocker!]

Disgusting. Can we stop sending S A taxpayer monies?

"Islamic Morals" = oxymoron.

[George S.]

Please be more specific where matters of beliefs are concerned. The assumption that all followers of Islam retain and guard these customs inaccurate, and of an editorial such as the Los Angeles Times where diversity is perhaps the strongest if not a leading contributor to its image of being progressive.

Wether you believe citizens deserve the right to follow a custom or are subjugated by it, your dismissive tone clearly frames this in an entirely inflammatory manner.

I hope the quality of your reporting improves, as I could have written this from spite just as effortlessly.

[bruce]

arf!

[Ignacio Rubio]

We should really study the advancements of other countries, not only for the economical but for the self moral advancement as well. In the past 9 years i've travelled to over 35 countries including the Middle East, and every time I returned to the great states, I felt as if we were missing a huge piece of the big picture.