PRESS RELEASE ON MUSLIMMAH BEAUTY PAGEANT

19^th September, 2013

PRESS RELEASE:

EMERGENCE OF NIGERIAN AS WINNER OF MUSLIMMAH BEAUTY PAGEANT: MURIC CONGRATULATES NIGERIANS, AFRICA.

 

A 21 year-old Nigerian Muslim lady, Aishah Ajibola, beat nineteen other finalists to emerge winner of the Muslimmah World beauty pageant in Bali, Indonesia, about seven hours ago today. Added to her kitty was 25 million rupiah ($2,200) as well as trips to Makkah and India in the finals held at the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

We congratulate Sister Aishah Ajibola of the University of Lagos for emerging the winner of the world Muslimah contest. We align with the contest in view of the fact that the criteria were not indecent exposure and provocative postures. The contestants were tested in the areas of recitation of the Glorious Qur'an, Islamic historiography, Islamic jurisprudence and Islamic current affairs.

We equally congratulate the organizers of the contest as they used the global event to create great awareness for the rest of the world to show that Muslims have their own values and norms concerning beauty and intelligence.

 

The event has also proved beyond reasonable doubt that Islam does not repress its women. Neither does it teach pushing them to the background. The demonstration of high level of exposure to education in various fields by the contestants also point to the fact that Muslim women pursue education and that Islam is not averse to educating the womenfolk. 

 

The contest also underscores the fact that opposition to any provocative beauty pageant anywhere in the world can be expressed in a non-violent manner. It will be recalled that violence had accompanied Muslim opposition to the hosting of beauty contests in Nigeria both at national and local levels.

 

MURIC once again affirms its opposition to beauty contests where the female contestants are scantily, indecently and provocatively dressed as promoting pornography, indecency, crime and immoral behavior.

 

The outcome of the event adds another feather not only to Nigeria's cap but that of the African continent as a whole. MURIC charges the Nigerian authorities to ensure the enforcement of Allah-given and fundamental rights of the Nigerian Muslim woman. We remind all employers of labour, nurses, bankers, school authorities and all those who discriminate against hijab-wearing women in the country that such practices constitute infringements on the fundamental human rights of Muslim women. We therefore demand that such religious profiling should be discontinued with immediate effect in the interest of peaceful coexistence.

 

Finally, MURIC challenges those who show interest in liberating Muslim girls from what they call child marriage should equally demonstrate interest in supporting the Muslim woman to dress decently in the way and manner she prefers without let or hinderance if indeed they are sincere about setting the Muslim girl free. 

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

08182119714

 

 

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC),

234-803-346-4974

234-818-211-9714

E-mail: muslimrightsconcern@yahoo.co.uk

            muslimrights@gmail.com

Website: www.muric.net

Yahoo Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimrights

Blog:       muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com

Twitter:   twitter.com/muslimrights

               

MURIC's bank account :

Banker's Name: Guaranty Trust Bank

Account Name:        Muslim Rights Concern
Account Number:    0112827277

Be just Justice is the soul of peace

No one can deny one and have the other

Neither can violence or naked force bring lasting peace