TEHRAN, Sep. 25 (MNA) World Miss Muslimah is a contest where girls are judged and chosen according to moral, scientific, and inner beauty criteria rather than physical and bodily beauties.Setareh Sadeqi has interviewed Masoumeh Ebrahimi, Irans nominee to the contest. In the interview,Setareh Sadeqihas questioned Masoumeh on the contest, the way the Miss Muslimah was chosen, and the possible distinctions could be made between Miss Muslimah and Miss World contest in Western countries. And now the interview:
She looked gorgeously modest when she appeared in her golden outfit on the stage. I felt so proud, not only because she represented my country, not only because she was the only Shiite girl among the contestants of the World Muslimah 2013, but also because I had the honor of being a friend of hers.
When Indonesia was first announced as the next destination for Miss World, the countrys Muslims staged several demonstrations and protests to show objection to what they described as totally un-islamic and a major disrespect to women. Miss World was then moved to Bali, a Hindu-majority island in Muslim-Majority Indonesia.
When the 20 contestants walked on the stage, the curves and coquetries had zero effect on the jurys decision as the young competent ladies were all covered head to toe, in modest, loose-fitting yet stylish and colorful gowns.
Eka Shanti lost her job as a TV news anchor, after she started to wear a headscarf back from her Hajj pilgrimage. Once fired, she decided to organize the World Muslimah contest for the first time in 2011 to provide Muslim women with alternative role models.
Masoumeh Ebrahimi, 28 year-old Iranian Muslim women, got to know about the event throughThe World Muslimah Beauty Facebook Page, where the foundation has been described as a Non-Government Organization to strengthen Muslim Women self-development & character to become Solehah, Smart & Stylish. Solehah, or pious in English, has also been described as an acronym standing for sincere, organized, lovely, empathy, honest and affirmative- qualities assessed when choosing the World Muslimah.
500 Muslim women from across the world set up their own profiles on the events official website. 100 top voted ladies got to compete in the second round which required each constant to upload a video about her life, education, job, achievements, artistic skills, command of foreign languages, command of the Holy Quran, and their idea on Hijab.
Masoumeh won the votes of enough people for hervideoto qualify as one of the 20 finalists who were invited to Jakarta, Indonesia.
In a 10-day camp with a tight schedule including lectures and visits from3 am to 10 pm, the contestants performances were assessed based on standards all focused on the inner beauty of these women. As a part of the plan, in a one-day visit to an orphanage, the 20 finalists of the Miss World Muslimah, volunteered and tried their best to be as charitable as they could.
On September 18ththe top 10 finalists were chosen based on Solehah qualities. The top ten now asked to appear on stage where they were asked questions on Islamic life style and adopting one that would fit the modern age we are living in.
Masoumeh successfully managed to qualify as one of the top 5 finalists of the event. Like her fellow contestants, she was asked about Islamic fashion,halalfood,halalbanking and financing practices, as well as Islamic tourism.
Two out of 5 qualified to compete in the last phase when 100 orphans visited by competent Muslimahs as a part of their 10-day plan were the jury of the event; these light-hearted ones crowned Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola of Nigeria as Miss World Muslimah 2013 to make her prostrate before God out of gratefulness and in tears of joy and glory.
She deserved it, says independent Iranian contestant, Masoumeh Ebrahimi who is a bit upset with comments by some Muslims against the event which she believes are out of lack of information.
The beauty in Muslim pageant was far more natural than Miss World; no one had nose jobs or plastic surgeries, no one cared if you were kind of overweight- certain TV Show standards were observed, though, she says in an attempt to clarify there was a big difference between the two events.
World Muslimah is an event to show that covering body does not mean that women's talents and abilities are covered too. The message the event tries to convey to Muslim women is to smartly choose an Islamic yet dynamic lifestyle, she adds.
Masoumeh is not only modest in the way she dresses but also quite modest about her accomplishment. When asked how she feels about her achievement, she replied: Im just a human being with flaws and mistakes. My message here is brotherhood and sisterhood among Muslims, just like how I feel about the other women here.
Masoumeh Ebrahimi of Iran described the respected daughter of Prophet Muhammad, Lady Fatima Zahra as the role model for all women, saying as an Iranian and a Shiite, Im happy to be in this event. Here I try my best to represent the young Muslim woman of Iran and lovers of H.EZahra.
I try to find a way to escape from the formality of the interview and bring us back to a friendly conversation. I wish her a nice trip and ask her what she plans to do next or if we could hang out together once she is back. She prays to settle down soon and get the chance to enjoy the realization of wishes every woman naturally holds in her heart; qualities like motherhood, femininity and elegance.
Masoumeh is fed up with how the Feminist movement did the greatest oppression to women by imposing on them responsibilities incompatible with the feminine nature of women, keeping them away from their apt duties.
Her words remind me of the last time we met each other; it was in the resting place of the martyrs of the 8 years of Imposed War by Saddam Hussein of Iraq to Iran. In her Chador, Masoumeh looked innocent and pious, just like her name. We both felt the great responsibility of safeguarding the Islamic values these heroes of ours, sacrificed their lives for.
By Mehr News Agency
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