Miss Indonesia faces charges
Published on: Tuesday, 25th July, 2006
Indonesias Miss Universe contestant, who failed to win the title, may face indecency charges after a hardline Muslim group reported her to the police, a lawyer said yesterday. The womens chapter of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) reported Miss Indonesia, Nadine Chandrawinata, to the Jakarta police over her appearance at the pageant, said Sugito, who heads the fronts legal counsel.
"We are reporting her and several others involved in her participation in the Miss Universe pageant, for intentionally and openly engaging in indecency," Sugito said. "Her vulgar appearances at Miss Universe is an insult to Indonesian women," he said, adding that participation in the beauty pageant, which includes posing in a bikini, went against the culture of predominantly Islamic Indonesia. The FPI also accused Chandrawinata and the others of together, in an organised way, violating a prevailing regulation.
Sugito told AFP that a decree of the education and culture ministry issued in 1984 - when dictator Suharto was in power - had banned Indonesians from taking part in beauty pageants. Both violations could incur up to six years imprisonment under the countrys laws. Although the decree technically remains in force in the worlds most populous Muslim nation, authorities have relaxed the ban since Suhartos downfall in 1998.
Indonesia sent Artika Sari Devia to the 2005 Miss Universe pageant, the first contestant it sent in almost a decade after her predecessor had dared to show up at the swimwear event, incurring a ban from Suharto. Miss Puerto Rico, Zuleyka Rivera, was crowned Miss Universe 2006 on Sunday. The FPI, which enjoys little support among ordinary Indonesians who typically practise a tolerant form of Islam, made headlines in 1999 when it launched violent anti-vice raids on bars and other "sinful" venues.
I found this story shocking,sad but very interesting.
Published on: Tuesday, 25th July, 2006
Indonesias Miss Universe contestant, who failed to win the title, may face indecency charges after a hardline Muslim group reported her to the police, a lawyer said yesterday. The womens chapter of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) reported Miss Indonesia, Nadine Chandrawinata, to the Jakarta police over her appearance at the pageant, said Sugito, who heads the fronts legal counsel.
Sugito told AFP that a decree of the education and culture ministry issued in 1984 - when dictator Suharto was in power - had banned Indonesians from taking part in beauty pageants. Both violations could incur up to six years imprisonment under the countrys laws. Although the decree technically remains in force in the worlds most populous Muslim nation, authorities have relaxed the ban since Suhartos downfall in 1998.
Indonesia sent Artika Sari Devia to the 2005 Miss Universe pageant, the first contestant it sent in almost a decade after her predecessor had dared to show up at the swimwear event, incurring a ban from Suharto. Miss Puerto Rico, Zuleyka Rivera, was crowned Miss Universe 2006 on Sunday. The FPI, which enjoys little support among ordinary Indonesians who typically practise a tolerant form of Islam, made headlines in 1999 when it launched violent anti-vice raids on bars and other "sinful" venues.
I found this story shocking,sad but very interesting.
