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NJ,
SEPT 2: President Gen Musharraf's idea of "enlightened moderation" may
not have caught up in Pakistan yet, but it definitely seems to have
encouraged some Pakistani repatriates to break the Desi and
the Islamic barrier.
For the first time, a Pakistani girl has participated in an
international beauty pageant overcoming the traditional barriers of
the conservative Islamic nation.
Houston-based Pakistani-American Mariyah Moten (22) represented Pakistan at the "Miss Bikini
of the Universe" pageant held in Beihai, a summer resort city
in south China on August 28.
More
Mariyah photo >
Mariyah won the "Best in Media" title (trophy plus sash), as being
the most photographed and interviewed girl in the entire pageant.
Since the pageant, she has been on Zee News, Khaleej Times, China
Daily, Hangzhou Newspaper and various other newspapers in China and
elsewhere.
She was born and brought up in Karachi, Pakistan, and moved to the
United States with her family eight years back.
Presently she is studying Hotel Management at the University of
Houston in Texas, where she did her high schooling.
"It's the first time that Pakistan is participating in the bikini
pageant, as we're an Islamic country," Moten was quoted as
saying by `China Daily`.
"Now there's less reproach in Pakistan on women's participation in
such beauty contests," she said.
"All my family support me and I'm excited to have the chance to
participate in the event." She and 47 other participants paraded
at the `Great hall of the people`
The candidates, all aged between 18 and 25, paraded before the
cameras representing their countries.
India did not participate.
The Bikini winner was crowned "Queen Pearl" and received USD 5,000
in prize money; second and third place earned the title "Miss
Pearl," and received USD 3,000 and USD 2,000 respectively,
according to the pageant's organizing committee.
Competing with 44 delegates, Mariyah was given the award on the
final night. This is the second award Mariyah has received in her
pageant career. She won "Miss Charity" at the Miss Tourism Queen
International pageant in July 2006, and now the "Best in Media" title
in August 2006 at the Miss Bikini Universe 2006 pageant.
Presently she is in Mumbai on a "special interview" assignment with
India's influential English daily newspaper Times of India, her
manager told DesPardes.com over the phone.
Have your say
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Amir H. Qureshi, Islamabad, Pakistan
It's a pity that many Pakistanis living abroad are appreciating
her shameful act. They forgot that their forefathers used to
live in Pakistani villages and lived poor but respectful
lives. |
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Wajid Ali, Houston, Texas, USA
In my opinion she has just disgraced herself and her family by
posing in a bikini. Neither Pakistan nor Islam gets effected by
such stupid actions of an individual.
Let us worry about self and not others. |
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Mahmood Nauman, Islamabad, Pakistan
These pictures of Miss Maria are surely an arrow straight to the
Muslim Umma. But we also have to think why this happened, and
the answer is nudism in our own country. |
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Mustafa Malik, Canada
Gone are the days when I used to be a proud Pakistani. I can
only pray for my people, but I don’t think I can do anything to
correct the situation.. |
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Sadiq Kool, Pakistan
She represents Pakistan no way. She only uses Pakistan's name.
By doing so she is trying to become famous - by saying she
represents Pakistan. |
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Asmaa Yousaf, Karachi, Pakistan
This is disgusting and a shame for Muslims and for Pakistan as
well. She is most welcome to take off her clothes but she is
definitely not a representative of Muslim women and not of
Pakistani women. |
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Sohail Merchant, Canada
Pakistan is already getting in a mess by having lots of bad
things being associated with its name. Things like this will
bring nothing good to our country. |
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Talha Khan, USA
The enlightenment President talks can be achieved in many other
constructive ways, not by nudity. On a positive note,
pictures/news like these will bring things out from behind the
curtain into the spot light. Consequently, one day then our
society will build effective ways to build effective solutions
around problems, like this one, that many of us Pakistanis hide
from and deem that they don't exist. |
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Ayesha Khan, UK
This is disgusting! I thought Pakistan was made to practice and
proclaim Islam in its true sense. |
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Munizeh Zuberi, Karachi, Pakistan
I don't think this is the enlightenment the President talks
about and the enlightenment we need in this country. |
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Rizwan, UK
This is disgusting and a shame for Muslims as a whole and
Pakistanis specifically. She is most welcome to take rest of her
clothe s off but please do not mention Pakistan or Islam. She is
in no way representing us. May Allah give her and others like
her understanding of what Islam is and what women rights are in
Islam. |
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Bakhtiar Hussain, USA
Whether you want to wear hijab or bikini, one should have the
choice. The government should provide security that if you don't
wear a hijab, you won't be eaten alive by gawking male. For all
those, living in North America/EU, you really don’t understand
or never have experienced the plight of women in Pakistan. After
living 20 years in North America, I don’t have to stair down
female to make them uncomfortable. |
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Tahir M Khan, Pakistan
I am shocked when I saw i a Pakistani girl with such nudity. A
Muslim girl can not do such things. Islam never permits a male
nor a female such things. |
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Munizeh Zuberi, Karachi,
Pakistan
I don't think this is the enlightenment the President talks about
and the enlightenment we need in this country. |
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Babar Khan, Lahore, Pakistan
I feel proud that a Pakistani lady is participating in such
competitions and making a mark for herself as well as her
country. The only difference between her and any other high
flying socialite in Lahore or Karachi is the fact that they do
everything behind closed doors and in private parties -- pool
parties being a great form of liberation and social
entertainment a few of which I have attended myself. I am proud
of Maryah and wish her the best. |
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Imran Hasan, UK
I feel sad about this nudity. Thank God she's an American; not a
Pakistani. |
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Zahra Murtaza, USA
Yeah, you're so "free" by shedding your clothes. Please don't
think you are freeing Muslim women by your act. In fact you and
other women are oppressed by the mass media and by men who
control the fashion magazines. It is a shame to think that
Muslim women who cover are oppressed when in fact they are
dignified and respectable. |
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Safa Mahmood, Canada
I am a female Pakistani-Canadian Muslimah and am currently
studying computer engineering. I write this just to point out
that I am not "oppressed" and "subjugated". I also choose to
cover my hair. No one forces me to. The Muslim girls and women
in Pakistan and elsewhere should educate themselves on the
wearing of hijab so that they don't fall into this culture of
oppression, where girls dress up for the pleasure of others. |
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Irum Sarfaraz, USA
These pictures are a horrendous shame to Pakistan, Islam and the
Muslim women all over the world. The lady should have the
decency not to use the word Muslim with her name and then she
can parade naked to the entire world if she wants. If Musharraf
is behind such 'liberalism' then we hope he is very
very happy....this is certainly not what the Quaid or Iqbal had
in mind when they envisioned Pakistan for Pakistanis. |
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Nouman, USA
I cannot believe a Pakistani Muslim woman participating in
such events. It stinks and I don't like Pakistan being
represented like that. She is representing Pakistan in a totally
wrong way and she should be punished for this. |
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Atif, Pakistan
Everybody talks about the rights of a woman, but who has given
her the right to produce this image of a Pakistani women in
International media? |
|
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Hisham bin Zubair, The Netherlands
For the urdu speaking community reading this, I quote Allama
Iqbal:
Amal say zindagi banti hay jannat bhi, jahannam bhi
ye khaki apni fitrat mein, na noori hay na naari hay
I sincerely wish illumination and enlightenment for Mariyah
Moten. |
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Nisar Tareen, USA
I hope more and more Pakistani will come out of hypocrisy and do
as they feel, and for others, I say "Mind your own business".
More serious issues are to be addressed in Pakistan, than being
Desi and Islamic. Keep it up Pakistani Liberals. Time to change
and time to speak out. |
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Sumrana Akram, USA
I like the freedom of press...and hope Ms Moten enjoys her
moment of glory, but honestly she isn't a representative of
Pakistan, neither officially nor unofficially. |
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Mohammad Javed, USA
It's a bold and excellent exposure by a Pakistani-American lady.
We must encourage others to come forward and take their
artificial veil off while staying in this country. If we watch
all that obscenity on DVDs in privacy, why should we be myopic
about Miss bikini. |
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