Saudi crowns queen of 'beautiful morals'

[bamalli]

Saudi beauty queen Aya Ali al-Mulla trounced 274 rivals to win a crown, jewelry, cash and a trip to Malaysia, and all without showing her face, Saudi media reported on Friday.

With her face and body completely covered by the black head-to-toe abaya mandatory in the conservative Muslim kingdom, 18-year-old Mulla was named "Queen of Beautiful Morals" late on Thursday, newspapers said.

There was none of the swimsuit and evening gown competitions and heavy media coverage of beauty pageants elsewhere when the contest was decided in the eastern city of Safwa.

Instead, the winner and the two runner-up princesses had to undergo a three-month test of their dutifulness to their parents and family, and their service to society.

This included a battery of personal, cultural, social and psychological tests, Al-Watan reported.

It was unclear exactly what Mullah did to pip her rivals in the huge field, but Al-Watan reported that the high school graduate had good grades and hopes to go into medicine.

She raked in a 5,000-riyal (1,333-dollar) prize, a pearl necklace, diamond watch, diamond necklace, and a free ticket to Malaysia with her win.

The 20-year-old first runner-up, one of triplets, had already won an education ministry-sponsored "I love you, my country" competition.

The second runner-up, a high school student aged 15, was cited for taking care of her home and family during the week because her mother works far from home and can only return on weekends.

Beauty contests focused on physical beauty are non-existent in segregated Saudi Arabia, where women can not mix with unrelated men, and must appear in public completely covered - even in photographs.

Miss Moral Beauty pageant organiser Khadra al-Mubarak kept the focus on inner beauty, as defined by Islamic standards of Saudi Arabia.

"The real winner in this competition is the society. The winners represent the culture of the society and its high Islamic morals," Mubarak said, according to Al-Watan.

[Dave_McEwan_Hill]

What a completely silly exercise.

[HUSNAA]

That is an unfortunate thing to say Dave. Everyone has his own idea of what beauty is. If it runs counter to what the western ideal of judging beauty is it doesnt mean that it was a silly exercise. You of all ppl have lived amongst muslims and know that beauty pageants western style is not acceptable in Islam.
Girls paraded semi nude like cattle in the market place is not a silly exercise to u I guess, since it titilates yr senses. Abi?

[Dave_McEwan_Hill]

If you believe that Western Beauty competitions are immoral and unbecoming to women you will find many people in the West actually agree with that sentiment.
In which case don't have Beauty Competitions.
They are just unimportant and senseless parades anyway.
But to have "Beauty Competitions" at which you cannot see the competitors is just completely silly.

[HUSNAA]

But to have "Beauty Competitions" at which you cannot see the competitors is just completely silly.

But the point was not to see them but to hear about them. After all it is said that beauty is more than skin deep, and its the inner innate beauty of character that is being displayed which u must agree is rather more important than the outward display of skin for the benefit of pervs.
Lets just say that the words beauty pageant have become synonymous with the western idea of beauty competitions and that is why it would sound and appear rather incongruous when thought of in the context of this one. In most cases, only muslims will immediately grasp and appreciate the significance of the saudi beauty pageant as it will prod some latent associations about proper conduct in Islam, in the muslims' subconscious which will make this particular pageant not something to be thought of with ridicule.

[usman11]

But how can anyone be certain that the winner is actually the winner? Nobody ever saw her face, hands, or legs. How was it determined that she had the best morals when in fact, she was covered up from the beginning. Actually, I would like to know the winner was chosen because I bet all other contestants on the show being from Saudi and all covered had to have the same exact mindset, value system, thought process, etc. So how did one win out over others? And still, how do we know for sure that the winner is actually the winner? Mennnnnnnnnn, this whole thing is fishy.

[HUSNAA]

Usman 11, it doesnt really matter how she was chosen bcos even the ones who bare all in the western style beauty pageant are really chosen based on the subjective views of the judges. Beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder; so it is different for different folks. Likewise no matter how the choice was made for the Saudi beauty queen, the outcome is based on a few ppl's opinions. So no different.

[Dave_McEwan_Hill]

Husnaa
You are flogging a dead horse on this one. The whole exercise was completely daft

[HUSNAA]

It doesnt matter Dave. Ppl have different value systems obviously. I'm sure western beauty pageantry must appear daft to some others as well.

[Muhsin]

It doesnt matter Dave. Ppl have different value systems obviously. I'm sure western beauty pageantry must appear daft to some others as well.

Here is one. It always appear utterly daft and senseless to me.

[Jibo]

Dave's idea is that only the western philosophy is right about everything. He may equally say that the Arabs are not human. This is the type of colonial mentality that raped the world of very many great values that are non-western. It is a typical colonial mentality of the otherness and the defeat of anything non-western. We believe in our thoughts, views and whatever. Let everybody keep to himself. If you cannot accept or understand my view, you have no right whatsoever to condemn it, for it works for me as much as yours works for you! Must I be white before I can be a pilot or doctor or an engineer or be able to think right? Your idea of beauty is quite different from everybody's else. So keep it to yourself and do not condemn others based on your biase views - be objective!

[Dave_McEwan_Hill]

Jibo

What a disgraceful reply. When did I ever say anything at all to support any of the things you mention?

What's my opinion got to do with "western" anything.
I still say that to have a beauty contest (a silly western idea in the first place) is even sillier if you can't see the contestants.

[Jibo]

What a completely silly exercise.

If you believe that Western Beauty competitions are immoral and unbecoming to women you will find many people in the West actually agree with that sentiment.
In which case don't have Beauty Competitions.
They are just unimportant and senseless parades anyway.
But to have "Beauty Competitions" at which you cannot see the competitors is just completely silly.

These are the places and other interpretation given through the thread. I do not wish to make a disgraceful reply. I was only giving my own opinion base on what I percieved from your writing: calling other people's idea silly. But take heart, it is not meant to hack you!

[Dave_McEwan_Hill]

Jibo
Thank you

[Jibo]

Thank you too! That's a beatiful moral, Dave!