Western beauty pageants continue to take cheap shots at Islam
November 02, 2003 www.1924.org
The streets of Nigeria descended into anarchy last year when the organisers of the Miss World competition decided to host the finals in Abuja. The arrival of such a competition in the Muslim lands sparked widespread protests, which resulted in hundreds of deaths. The competition slowly became a platform by which many took the opportunity to attack the Islamic hudoods (divine punishments). The Miss France committee withdrew their contestant from the competition saying: “The Miss France committee is joining the protests against Nigeria, which condemns women to death for adultery. These sentences are barbaric and unacceptable.” Despite the uproar caused by these sentiments, it would seem that the organisers of such pageants still have much to learn.
In this years ‘Miss Earth’ competition, Afghanistan will be sending a participant for the first time in over 30 years. Vida Samadzai, 25, has lived in America for the last seven years and will be competing alongside 60 other contestants from around the world in this year’s final, to be hosted in Manila. Samadzai said “I would like to make people aware that, as Afghan women, we are talented, intelligent and beautiful. Now, women can go to school, go to work, they’re free. They don’t have to wear those long burqas anymore.”
It is clear that the West, and those influenced by the western culture, continue to use such pageants as a springboard for attacking Islam. Earlier this month the cosmetic giants Revlon and MAC, pledged to help an American aid project set up beauty salons in Kabul. The project is aimed at training Afghani women in the art of hair cutting and beauty. Mary MacMakin, who inspired the project, said: “These women have been tortured, abused and oppressed. To have other women work on them and touch them is a wonderful thing to achieve, but at the same time you can show them ways to gain economic independence.”
It’s clear that the western world continues to propagate its lethal cocktail of freedoms to the Muslims. In doing so they adopt a number of differing styles and means, although the basic undercurrent always remains the same – to present their value system as being superior to the Islamic one. This is something that Allah (SWT) warns us about:
æóáóä ÊóÑúÖóì Úóäßó ÇáúíóåõæÏõ æóáÇó ÇáäøóÕóÇÑóì ÍóÊøóì ÊóÊøóÈöÚó ãöáøóÊóåõãú
“And the Jews and Christians will never be pleased with you until you follow their millah (way of life).” [TMQ Al-Baqarah:120]
Yet how can the West claim to offer a superior criterion for action when they make the basis of action the pursuit of pleasure? This endless pursuit of sensory gratification has produced misery for the millions and pleasure for the few. Consider that 70% of American wives commit adultery in the first 5 years of marriage; or that 167 women are raped everyday in the UK; or that a woman is battered every 18 seconds in the US. There are hundreds of thousands more who suffer from depression, or eating disorders such as Anorexia and Bulimia. These statistics reveal that the West is unable to regulate the relationship between men and women effectively, and gives people ideals and aspirations that are unachievable. Therefore, we must refer to Allah (SWT), the Creator of mankind, about how best to live our lives. He (SWT) said:
ÃóáóÇ íóÚúáóãõ ãóäú ÎóáóÞó æóåõæó ÇááøóØöíÝõ ÇáúÎóÈöíÑõ
“Should not He Who has created know? And He is the Most Kind and Courteous (to His slaves) All-Aware (of everything).” [TMQ Mulk:14]
Despite the West’s relentless onslaught against Islamic values, especially against Muslim women, we must remember that Allah (SWT) is the one who has given women honour, maintained their dignity and elevated their status. He (SWT) warned the men against making women mere objects of desire, which in the West this is the prevalent attitude that is epitomised by these beauty pageants. He (SWT) warned:
Þõá áøöáúãõÄúãöäöíäó íóÛõÖøõæÇ ãöäú ÃóÈúÕóÇÑöåöãú æóíóÍúÝóÙõæÇ ÝõÑõæÌóåõãú Ðóáößó ÃóÒúßóì áóåõãú Åöäøó Çááøóåó ÎóÈöíÑñ ÈöãóÇ íóÕúäóÚõæäó æóÞõá áøöáúãõÄúãöäóÇÊö íóÛúÖõÖúäó ãöäú ÃóÈúÕóÇÑöåöäøó æóíóÍúÝóÙúäó ÝõÑõæÌóåõäøó
“Tell the believing men to lower from their gaze and to protect their private parts. That is better for them, Allah knows the details of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower from their gaze and protect their private parts” [TMQ An-Nur: 30-31].
Hence Allah (SWT) and his Messenger (SAW) established the correct basis for action amongst the believers. The basis of action in Islam is not shallow and primitive like it is in the West. The Islamic basis for action is a far more enlightened premise – the laws of Allah (SWT). This is because man has limited knowledge and may therefore employ all the faculty of his mind but still arrive at an incorrect conclusion. By contrast, Allah (SWT) has perfect knowledge on all affairs and He (SWT) created man – thereby knowing what is best for him. He (SWT) said:
æóåõæó ßõÑúåñ áøóßõãú æóÚóÓóì Ãóä ÊóßúÑóåõæÇú ÔóíúÆðÇ æóåõæó ÎóíúÑñ áøóßõãú æóÚóÓóì Ãóä ÊõÍöÈøõæÇú ÔóíúÆðÇ æóåõæó ÔóÑøñ áøóßõãú æóÇááøåõ íóÚúáóãõ æóÃóäÊõãú áÇó ÊóÚúáóãõæäó
“It may be that you hate something and it is good for you and it may be that you like something and it is bad for you, Allah knows and you do not know” [TMQ Al-Baqarah: 216].