Miss World organizers said
the 137 women in the competition will instead wear one-piece swimwear, some of
which will also have sarongs over the top.
Miss World contestants will
not wear bikinis when they vie for the pageant's crown in Indonesia this
September to avoid causing offence in the world's most populous Muslim country.
Miss World organisers said
the 137 women in the competition will instead wear one-piece swimwear, some of
which will also have sarongs over the top. "This is perfectly reasonable
in a country that prefers one-piece swimwear," London-based Miss World
Organisation Chairwoman Julia Morley told Reuters on Thursday.
Morley denied suggestions
the decision to ditch bikinis was made after local complaints about the
contest. However, reports in Indonesian newspapers said a number of
conservative groups had taken issue with the staging of the contest,
highlighting bikinis as a key objection.
The Jakarta Post reported on
Monday that deputy tourism minister, Sapta Nirwandar, said the government had
also asked Miss World to follow Indonesian tradition. "Some people in
Indonesia still consider it taboo for women to wear bikinis and outfits that
expose body parts," the paper quoted Nirwandar as saying on its website.
Over the past year other
entertainment events have been disrupted in Indonesia due to threats by Muslim
organisations. Pop star Lady Gaga was forced last year to pull out of a concert
after a hardline Muslim group threatened to disrupt her show, saying her
performances were immoral.
Last month veteran US rock
band Aerosmith cancelled a concert in Jakarta citing security concerns. The
63rd Miss World pageant will be held on Sept. 28 in Jakarta, the capital of a
country where nearly 90 percent of its 240 million people consider themselves
to be Muslims.
The Miss World contest dates
back to 1951 and during its first decade the outfits of contestants raised
eyebrows and grabbed headlines while building a growing audience for its
televised show.
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