A prize-winning bikini competition contestant who claimed to represent Pakistan, sparking some outrage in the Muslim country, says she wanted to project the nation as a modern one.
Updated: 2006-09-10 16:20
MUMBAI - A prize-winning bikini competition contestant who claimed to represent Pakistan, sparking some outrage in the Muslim country, says she wanted to project the nation as a modern one.
Officials in Pakistan, which does not hold beauty pageants, said Thursday they were investigating how Texas-based Mariyah Moten, 22, entered a "Miss Bikini" pageant in China last month as a Pakistani contestant.
Pakistan-born Moten, who holds an American passport, won a "Best in Media" title for being the most photographed and interviewed contestant, media reports said.
"I have broken all the barriers, and in the coming years there will be other Pakistani contestants who will carry this title," Moten, described by Pakistani media as the country's first bikini queen, told the Times of India newspaper.
"My intention was to project Pakistan in a very modern way."
Moten was born and brought up in the Pakistani city of Karachi. Her family moved to the United States eight years ago and she is now based in Houston.
Pakistani authorities said they might take up the issue with China, and might also withdraw from Moten privileges offered to people of Pakistani descent such as visa-free travel to Pakistan.
Moten, who said she might consider a career in the Pakistani film industry, was undeterred by the criticism.
"The hardliners are basically people who impose their thoughts on others, and we are not affected by people like them.
"It is actually very amusing how they are always so ready to react," the daily quoted her as saying.
Reply:
"We cannot allow this," Janjua
Replied by(
Noman)
Replied on (8/Sep/2006)
"Miss Noorani, seen as a disgrace by many Pakistanis, was wearing ceremonial strap prominently inscribing "PAKISTAN",
Last year many people were shocked in Pakistan to learn
that a Pakistani woman was participating in the Miss
International Beauty contest in Tokyo. Pakistan government
ordered its diplomats in Japan to contact the organisers
and try to bar her from using the country's name. The
orgnizers ignored that!
Soon after photographs of 21-year old Neelam Noorani
appeared in newspapers on Friday, appearing in the preview
of the Tokyo beauty pageant as "Miss Pakistan".
The News daily reported a front page story titled, 'Beauty
queen or an ultimate disgrace', and also carried the
picture of Noorani taking part in the pageant.
"Miss Noorani, seen as a disgrace by many Pakistanis, was wearing ceremonial strap prominently inscribing "PAKISTAN",
the daily said.
According to the organisers 51 girls would compete for the
Miss International crown on September 30 in Tokyo.
Expressing shock over Noorani taking part in the contest,
Tariq Janjua, the Secretary Culture, Sports and Tourism was
quoted by the newspaper as saying that the government had
nothing to do with "this shameful development." "We cannot
adding that such contests were in
total "contrast" to the social and cultural values of
Pakistan.
See full article and photos at:
Arif
Reply:
Who is she?,a Pakistani or an
Replied by(
webmaster)
Replied on (7/Sep/2006)
was there any valid document from Govt of Pakistan with her? if not then she was not Pakistani in that competition, she was just one girl, one individual.
"Houston-based Pakistani-American Mariyah Moten (22) represented ", is she pakistani, i have few Qs, what is the criteria of participating in any of these world events, if these competitions are on individual basis then any one can partcipate and persons participating in individual competitions are always known as individuals,but if the competition is on country basis then the person who is representing the country, should hold some vaild documents/permissions from the country to represnt it. So i am asking from all of you, do any one has any informtion that this girl represent herself or the country in the competition? was there any valid document from Govt of Pakistan with her? if not then she was not Pakistani in that competition, she was just one girl, one individual.