Gulf | Saudi Arabia
Here she comes: Saudi Arabia's Miss Beautiful Morals
Sukaina Al Zayer is an unlikely beauty queen hopeful. She covers her face and body in black robes and an Islamic veil, so no one can tell what she looks like. She also admits she's a little on the plump side.
- AP
- Published: 11:25 May 7, 2009
- Image Credit: AP
- Miss Beautiful Morals pageant founder Khadra Al Mubarak says the pageant is meant to measure the contestants' commitment to Islamic morals.
Riyadh: Sukaina Al Zayer is an unlikely beauty queen hopeful. She covers her face and body in black robes and an Islamic veil, so no one can tell what she looks like. She also admits she's a little on the plump side.
But at Saudi Arabia's only beauty pageant, the judges don't care about a perfect figure or face.
What they're looking for in the quest for "Miss Beautiful Morals" is the contestant who shows the most devotion and respect for her parents.
"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," said pageant founder Khadra Al Mubarak.
"The winner won't necessarily be pretty," she added. "We care about the beauty of the soul and the morals."
So after the pageant opens Saturday, the nearly 200 contestants will spend the next 10 weeks attending classes and being quizzed on themes on inner strength and leadership.
Pageant hopefuls will also spend a day at a country house with their mothers, where they will be observed by female judges and graded on how they interact with their mothers, Al Mubarak said.
Since the pageant is not televised and no men are involved, contestants can take off the veils and black figure-hiding abayas they always wear in public.
The Miss Beautiful Morals pageant is the latest example of conservative Muslims co-opting Western-style formats to spread their message in the face of the onslaught of foreign influences flooding the region through the Internet and satellite television.
A newly created Islamic music channel owned by an Egyptian businessman aired an "American Idol"-style contest for religious-themed singers this month.
And several Muslim preachers have become talk-show celebrities by adopting an informal, almost Oprah-like television style, in contrast to the solemn clerics who traditionally appear in the media.
Now in its second year, the number of pageant contestants has nearly tripled from the 75 women who participated in 2008. The pageant is open to women between 15 and 25.
The winner and two runners up will be announced in July, with the queen taking home $2,600 and other prizes. The runners up get $1,300 each.
Last year's winner, Zahra Al Shurafa, said the contest gives an incentive to young women and teens to show more consideration toward their parents.
"I tell this year's contestants that winning is not important," said Al Shurafa, a 21-year-old English major. "What is important is obeying your parents."
There are few beauty pageants in the largely conservative Arab world. The most dazzling is in Lebanon, the region's most liberal country, where contestants appear on TV in one-piece swimsuits and glamorous evening gowns and answer questions that test their confidence and general knowledge.
There are no such displays in ultra-strict Saudi Arabia, where until Miss Beautiful Morals was inaugurated last year, the only pageants were for goats, sheep, camels and other animals, aimed at encouraging livestock breeding.
This year's event kicks off Saturday in the mainly Shiite Muslim town of Safwa, and mostly draws local Shiite contestants. But it's open to anyone, and this year, 15 Sunni Muslims are participating, Al Mubarak said.
Your comments
It is good to hear that a woman like her makes this a very rare and one of a kind pageant for the ladies involving what and how they are towards their mothers.
Mariam
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 07, 2009, 17:25
A beauty Pageant in a differnt way- to appreciate the beauty of morals! In some ways, it is a progressive idea in today's world where women's body-display has been very much commercialised. Every bit of ad requires a woman's figure to promote it. Keeping all these points in view, a queen to be chosen in moral principles does really make a difference.
Agniyah Shaikh
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 07, 2009, 16:58
At last there is a pageant for women which makes sense and has a great objective. Alhamdulillah.
Arif Mohi Al Deen
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 07, 2009, 15:53
This is relly cool and good. This should be done in UAE too!If it really is done here then I would be really happy.
Faryal Naureen
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 07, 2009, 15:46
This is really great, as the real beauty is the beauty of the soul not only the fairness of the skin. Its a great thing Keep up the work.
Alifiya
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 07, 2009, 14:54
At last there is a pageant for women which makes sense and has a great objective.
Arif Mohyi Al Deen
Dubai,India
Posted: May 07, 2009, 14:52
this it will show the women real value and respect.
Mansour Babbu
dubai,uae
Posted: May 07, 2009, 14:40
Wow! This is a great idea to increase awareness about morals. Why not to organize these for men as well?
Jasvinder Singh
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 07, 2009, 14:26
It's a good starting in a conservative Islamic country,maintaining the Islamic cultures
Mohammad Alam
Al Ain,UAE
Posted: May 07, 2009, 14:08
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