Islam and a swimsuited Miss Indonesia

Islam and a swimsuited Miss Indonesia

Michael Mathes, Agence France-Presse/Phuket, Thailand

Indonesia has not sent a contestant to the Miss Universe pageant
in almost a decade, since its last competitor dared to show up at
the swimwear event, incurring a ban from then dictator Soeharto.

But Artika Sari Devi, a 25-year-old law graduate and this
year's Indonesian ambassador, says that despite vocal opposition
from religious groups back home, she believes the world's largest
Muslim nation is ready to compete once again.

When she slipped into a swimsuit on a Phuket beach with other
contestants last week, Artika knew was stepping into uncharted
territory.

The demure beauty-queen was happy to hug the sidelines of a
risque seaside dance number featuring all 80 other contestants
being filmed for the pageant's final broadcast, all too aware
that critics had her in their sights.

Clad in a one-piece swimsuit, far more modest than the skimpy
bikinis worn by the other contestants, Artika was upbeat about
her participation -- including Thursday's jaunt on the beach.
A masters student and a practicing Muslim, she believes things
have changed since the 1996 ban.

"I'm so lucky. This is the right time for a young lady from
Indonesia to join in this great competition," she told AFP in an
interview on Thailand's largest tourist island.

When she parades in front of the judges and an estimated 800
million television viewers on May 31, she knows she will be
running the gauntlet of Muslim critics and fierce
traditionalists, who say the event goes against both Indonesian
culture and Islam.

"The big problem is still the swimsuit competition," she
pointed out as she wrapped a towel around her waist. "But today
in Indonesia, we can see many people wearing swimsuits at the
beach."

When asked if she felt the political winds had shifted to
allow her to compete, she was guarded.

"Yes, but I don't want to talk about the opinion of my
government, because it's sensitive," she said. "I just appreciate
that I'm a citizen who is part of a young generation."

Not everyone back home is behind her. On Friday some 70
protesters from the radical group Front for the Defenders of
Islam staged a noisy but peaceful protest outside the Jakarta
office of the Miss Indonesia Foundation.

Soleh Munawir Nasution, the group's leader, said Indonesia's
involvement in the pageant would "invoke God's wrath and bring
new disasters" to the country.

"The foundation has degraded the dignity of Indonesian women,"
he said.

Pictures of Artika in her swimsuit were on the front page of
Indonesian newspapers on Friday, drawing criticism from
conservative Muslims.

"We reject her participation because such an event is not
compatible with our culture, not to mention religious values,"
said Syamamah Suratno, head of the women's wing of Muhammadiyah,
Indonesia's second-largest Islamic group.

"We should not be judged by our physical appearance. If we
want to take part in a competition it should be about brains,
intelligence and skills," said the French-educated activist.

While critics have focused on Artika, she is not the only
contestant from a Muslim nation, with Egypt, Turkey, Nigeria and
Malaysia also among those competing and to have entered the
swimwear contest in past years.

But Islam and beauty pageants have a history of conflict. In
2002, the Miss World competition was moved from Nigeria to
Britain after riots sparked by an article on the competition left
more than 200 people dead.

Tom Kruesopon, chief organizer of Miss Universe in Thailand,
acknowledged the sensitivities of Artika's presence but said the
pageant was thrilled to have her competing.

"Understanding the religious aspects of Indonesia and knowing
how difficult the decision of sending her may have been, I'm
certain it was the right thing to do," he said.

"I was a bit skeptical of her participation, knowing there
could be a tremendous outcry back home ... but her taking part
puts the pageant in the right light."

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AFP

GetAFP 2.10 -- MAY 25, 2005 09:43:54