Miss Afghanistan May Face Afghan Charges

A 23-year-old woman who is the first Afghan in three decades to take part in a beauty pageant could face prosecution if she returns to her native country, a senior justice official said Saturday. Fazel Ahmad Manawi, deputy head of Afghanistan's Supreme Court, told The Associated Press that Vida Samadzai, a college student in California, had betrayed Afghan culture by appearing at the Miss Earth contest in a bikini � and may have also broken the law. "I hope that this lady regrets her actions," Mamawi said. He added that Afghan prosecutors may open an investigation, but refused to say what charges or penalties Samadzai could face. Afghan law is based on Islamic principles but stops short of the extremist interpretation of Islamic law, known as Shariah, which was applied by the former Taliban regime. Despite the fall of the Taliban two years ago, many Afghan women still wear the all-covering burqa robes that became an international symbol of the regime's hardline policies. Women who avoid the burqa respect Islamic tradition by covering their hair with a scarf. Samadzai's wearing the bikini led to criticism from the Supreme Court, which said such a display of the female body was un-Islamic. However, in an office in the city, female employee Mazari Alamyar also criticized Samadzai. "Every (Afghan) woman who is living in any country should respect Shariah law. We are Afghans, we are Muslims," she said. "We know that what was done by this woman was against Shariah law and we condemn it." Najeba Sharief, Afghanistan's deputy minister for women's affairs, also said she was displeased with Samadzai. It is "too early" for beauty pageants when the majority of Afghan women face a tough daily struggle to survive, she said. "First, we should take other steps and after that, one day, we'll be able to turn to such activities." However, she refused to condemn Samardzai outright. "I seriously respect the human rights conventions which say every human being has the right to do whatever he or she wants. But those women who want to do this should still think a little about their culture."

Posted by flow Frazao on November 8, 2003 at 10:00 PM | Permalink