Gadis Melayu di pentas Ratu Cantik Muslimah Dunia

Nurul Husna Zainal Abidin meraih gelaran "World Muslim Woman Netizen 2013" dalam pertandingan Ratu Cantik Muslimah Dunia

Raut wajahnya menawan, senyumannya manis dan ditambah dengan gayanya persis seorang model profesional berjaya meletakkan Nurul Husna Zainal Abidin meraih gelaran "World Muslim Woman Netizen 2013" dalam pertandingan Ratu Cantik Muslimah Dunia baru-baru ini.

Ini adalah penyertaan pertama peserta Malaysia dalam pertandingan anjuran bekas hos utama stesen televisyen Indonesia, Eka Shanti yang dipecat kerana keengganannya menanggalkan tudung apabila diarah berbuat demikian ketika bertugas.

Pertandingan tahun ini disifatkan sebagai sebahagian daripada protes terhadap acara Ratu Cantik Dunia yang sepatutnya diadakan di Jakarta namun terpaksa ditukar lokasinya di Bali akibat ditentang keras oleh puak konservatif Islam.

Jadi bagaimana acara tersebut berbeza dengan pertandingan ratu cantik yang lain?Pada malam peringkat akhir, pembukaan acara itu dimulakan dengan bacaan al-Quran sebelum peserta mula berjalan ke atas pentas dengan memakai gaun malam yang mencerminkan imej muslimah dengan pelbagai gaya hijab.

“Sesetengah peserta berjalan dengan keyakinan tinggi namun ada juga peserta yang dilihat kekok berjalan memakai kasut tinggi dan mengenakan gaun labuh,” lapor Jakarta Post.

Uniknya juara bagi pertandingan tersebut dipilih oleh tetamu kehormat iaitu juri terdiri daripada 100 kanak-kanak  anak yatim.

Menceritakan pengalamannya, Nurul berkata, pertandingan itu menekankan betapa Islam itu indah dan semua aktiviti seperti bacaan al-Quran dijalankan berlandaskan syariat Islam.

Selain itu, gadis berusia 21 tahun ini turut berpandangan acara yang baik sebegini boleh diadakan di negara ini.

"Saya rasa sekiranya kerajaan mengadakan acara demikian pasti menerima sambutan mengalakkan kerana ia banyak mengajar mengenai ilmu Islam tanpa meminggirkan gaya fesyen berhijab.

"Ia tidak salah kerana boleh memberi peluang kepada muslimah di luar sana menimba pengalaman baru tambahan pula kerajaan boleh mengambil kesempatan untuk mempromosikan pelancongan negara," kata gadis yang berasal dari Kuala Kangsar, Perak itu.

Nurul yang berjaya melayakkan diri sebagai 10 finalis berkata, dia mengetahui mengenai penganjuran acara itu melalui rakannnya.

"Menyertai pertandingan ini benar-benar membantu saya mendalami agama kerana semua aktiviti mengajar saya bagaimana untuk menjadi seorang muslimah dalam mendepani cabaran zaman serba moden," katanya kepada The Malaysian Insider.

Kira-kira 20 wanita dari enam negara termasuk Indonesia, Brunei dan Iran menyertai perandingan itu bagi merebut gelaran juara dengan pengetahuan dan kemahiran mereka tentang Islam diuji.

Ia diadakan pada 18 September lalu di Jakarta dengan peserta Nigeria Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola, 21, dinobatkan sebagai juara.

Nurul berkata, kemenangan meraih gelaran World Muslim Woman Netizen 2013 adalah pengalaman berharga buat dirinya.

“Terkejut dan bersyukur, ini rezeki dari Allah sebagai wakil negara saya berjaya mengharumkan negara Malaysia ,ia pengalaman paling berharga buat saya," kata pelajar Universiti Institut Teknologi Mara (UiTM ), Negeri Sembilan itu. – 26 September, 2013.TMI

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government to move the whole series of events of Miss World 2013 in Bali

MNC Group CEO Hary Tanoesoedibjo said he was disappointed with the government's decision to move the whole series of Miss World 2013 in Bali .

" Of course we would like to disappointment . One decision can change due to such pressure , " he told a press conference in Jakarta , Monday.

He regretted that the preparation has been done since three years can be changed within three to four days because of the decision.

That is, charity events planned to be held in Jakarta and Yogyakarta including cultural visits to the final night which was originally held in Sentul , Bogor , will also be canceled due to the transfer.

" It is my regret , their activities but pity them so much like tourists to Jakarta alone should not be , " he said .

Moreover , the recognition of the global beauty contest has been organized in such a way to fit the culture and norms of the nation .

" We have a clear foundation , from the eastern side of the law and norms are appropriate . 's Why I regret , but it happened , so we respect and follow the course , " he said .

He also claimed to fear displacement series of Miss World 2013 will have a negative impact , especially from foreign countries . He was afraid of the transfer of these activities have a major impact on foreign investment to Indonesia .

" Do not let this move creates a sense of insecure , considered less convenient , safe and can not enforce the law properly . Perception that accumulates If it could have an impact on investment , " he said .

 Organisers claim to suffer huge losses when the whole series of events eventually Miss World 2013 to be moved to Bali .

" Without the loss we've moved well , especially as preparations moved three years must be compressed with the preparation of three to four days , " said CEO of MNC Group Hary Tanoesoedibjo as the pageant organizers in a press conference in Jakarta , Monday.

However , he claimed the material loss is not the main thing in the removal of a series of activities to Bali . He was also reluctant to say how much it had to bear the losses caused by such removal .

Displacement series of Miss World 2013 not only covers about the activities of the participants but also the accommodation of the relatives and supporters of the event include state representatives .

However , he admitted that he would discuss the matter to the supporters of the event .

" Anyway, the focus now is to save this event in order to keep good name of Indonesia . Perhaps there is a problem in the country but abroad should still keep the authority as a nation , " he said .

The global beauty contest followed by 129 contestants and broadcast to 186 countries around the world . Hary claims this is the biggest event that will be covered by the rest of the world that is expected to lift the nation's image and promote tourism .

 Having criticized some religious organizations , all activities of the Miss World 2013 beauty pageant will be held entirely in Bali .

" Based on the government's decision , it was decided the implementation of all the Miss World 2013 held in Bali , " said CEO of MNC Group Hary Tanoesoedibjo a press conference in Jakarta , Monday.

The official announcement that the company that delivered the group also acts as the committee agreed on the government passed a decree , Hary said .

Thus , the whole world 's beauty pageant circuit , starting from the arrival of the participants and crew , quarantine , plan a visit to Yogyakarta and Jakarta , until the final night moved entirely to Bali .

Although disappointed with the decision, claiming legowo Hary and respect the decision.

" Obviously we all committees involved will be law-abiding and will follow , our subject , " he said .

However , Hary considers relocation Miss World event was not supposed to happen . " However , there is no negative impact of these activities . Having been adjusted to the rule of law and norms eastern , " he claims .

 Around 1,053 officers were deployed to secure the protests of the Islamic Defenders Front ( FPI ) in East Java who refused to contest Miss World 2013.

Thousands of combined personnel of the Police , Army and Civil Service Police Unit was providing security at the rally site at the Port of Ketapang , Banyuwangi regency , on Saturday .

Hundreds of FPI members from various regions demonstrated by holding a joint prayer ( istiqosah ) and the oration in Banyuwangi to reject beauty contest " Miss World " held in Bali Island .

Head of Operations ( Head of Ops ) Banyuwangi Police , Commissioner Sujarwo , said the joint personnel are on alert since morning in front of Station New to Banyuwangi Ketapang harbor entrance .

" Police Banyuwangi also got help from Brmob East Java Police personnel to secure the rejection of Miss World demonstration because the police did not actually give the demo permit , " he said .

Sujarwo Commissioner explained that the joint personnel consist of 5 units of company rank ( SSK ) crowd control force ( Dalmas ) Police Banyuwangi , East Java Police Mobile Brigade 2 SSK , 3 SSK members of the military , two municipal police platoon , officers and five fire trucks ( PMK ) as well as an ambulance unit .

" Alhamdulillah demonstrations were peaceful . Demonstrators only do prayer and speeches at two locations namely New Stations and Port Ketapang Banyuwangi , so they are not so crossing to the island of Bali , " he said .

FPI finally canceled across to the island since Brimob troops are on alert in front of the entrance to the Port of Ketapang . Police had blockaded the harbor entrance with iron wire and alerting a vehicle " water cannons " .

Confirmed separate , Banyuwangi FPI chairman Agus Iskandar said Muslims unequivocally reject event Miss World beauty pageant that was held in Bali , and the government should listen to the aspirations of the people .

" Indonesia Ulema Council ( MUI ) has issued a statement to reject the election of Miss World in Indonesia , but the beauty pageant world was still held , " he said .

According to him , Miss World was breaking the Law Pornography and Porno-action as the contestants dress used is not according to the Indonesian culture and religion of Islam .

" We expect the government to listen to the aspirations of the people . If the pageant world who sells her body attractiveness held fixed , then the FPI will bring greater mass for the demo again , " he said .

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Miss America 2014 Is Miss New York Nina Davuluri, First Woman of Indian Descent to Win

There she is: Miss America 2014! Besting 52 other beauty queens (50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Island), Miss New York Nina Davuluri won the coveted crown in the pageant, which aired live on ABC from Atlantic City, NJ on Sunday Sept. 15. The triumph of the 24-year-old from Syracuse, New York marks a milestone in the history of the institution: Davuluri is the very first woman of Indian descent to win the crown.

PHOTOS: Miss Universe bikini bodies

Miss USA

Twenty-year-old Olivia Culpo, beat out 88 other women from around the world to win the coveted crown.

Davuluri paid tribute to her heritage with a spirited Bollywood number during the performance segment of the show -- although she missed her cue twice, with hostess Lara Spencer forced to yell her name three times before Davuluri went onstage. During the always-interesting Q&A portion of the competition, the beauty addressed one of last week's biggest stories on Us Weekly: The Talk host Julie Chen's revelation that she had undergone plastic surgery to make her eyes look "less Asian" and thus improve her career chances.

"I don't agree with plastic surgery, however I can understand that from a standpoint," Davuluri, an aspiring doctor, said. "More importantly I've always viewed Miss America as the girl next door. And Miss America is always evolving... I wouldn't want to change someone's looks. Be confident in who you are."

To win this year's title, Davuluri bested Miss California Crystal Lee (the runner-up earned both her B.A. and M.A. at Stanford in just four years, and is fluent in Mandarin), Miss Oklahoma Kesley Griswold (second runner-up), Miss Florida Myrrhanda Jones (the third runner up memorably wore a knee brace during the swimsuit competition) and Miss Minnesota Rebecca Yeh (fourth runner up).

Tell Us: What did you think of this year's pageant?

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Miss America 2014 Is Miss New York Nina Davuluri, First Woman of Indian Descent to Win

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Miss World opens in Indonesia after protests

BALI, Indonesia (AP) — The 63rd edition of the Miss World pageant opened Sunday after protests by Muslim hard-liners confined the event to Indonesia's predominantly Hindu resort island of Bali.

The opening ceremony, which was televised to 186 countries, featured Bali's Kecak dance and a parade of all 131 contestants.

Following days of protests by Indonesian hard-line Muslim groups and the rejection of the contest by a leading clerics' organization, the government announced Saturday that it was moving the Sept. 28 final round to Bali. It was initially set to be held in Sentul, on the outskirts of the capital, Jakarta.

Bali is the only Hindu-dominated province in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country.

Controversy over the pageant has been mounting in Indonesia, which has a reputation as a tolerant, pluralist society that respects freedom of expression.

The Indonesia Ulema Council, the country's most influential clerics' organization, and the hard-line groups Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia and Front for Islamic Defenders have urged the government to cancel the event. They have argued that the exposure of skin by women in a competition violates Muslim teachings, even after organizers agreed to cut the bikini competition and instead outfit contestants in more conservative sarongs.

The chairwoman of the Miss World Organization, Julia Morley, has promised that none of the contestants will wear a bikini. The pageant began in the 1950s, and the first winner was crowned in a two-piece bathing suit.

"We only want to try to find the best way of working together," Morley told a news conference Saturday in Bali.

Most Muslims in Indonesia, a secular country of 240 million people, are moderate, but a small extremist fringe has become more vocal in recent years.

Lady Gaga was forced to cancel her sold-out concert in Indonesia in May following threats by Islamic hard-liners who called her a "devil worshipper." Jennifer Lopez toned down her sexy outfits and dance moves during a show in Jakarta last December.

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Indonesia moves Miss World final to Bali after protests

Miss Lebanon Karen Ghraoui, Miss Philippines Megan Young and Miss Puerto Rico Nadyalee Torres attend a news conference in Nusa Dua resort island of Bali on September 7, 2013. The final of the pageant will take place on the Hindu-majority holiday island of Bali instead of near the capital, after days of Muslim hardline protests.

A Muslim protester holds a poster during an anti-Miss World protest in Jakarta on September 6, 2013. Indonesia has said the final of the Miss World pageant later this month would take place on the Hindu-majority holiday island of Bali instead of near the capital, after days of Muslim hardline protests.

Indonesia said on Saturday the final of the Miss World pageantlater this month would take place on the Hindu-majority holiday island of Bali instead of near the capital, after days of Muslim hardline protests.

The announcement is the latest sign in the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation of fringe Muslim groups' growing influence on authorities and their power to stymie events they deem un-Islamic.

Last year, pop sensation Lady Gaga axed a concert after a series of protests, where radicals dubbed her "the devil", threatened to burn down the venue and criticised her for wearing only "a bra and panties".

Although the Miss World organisers had already promised to replace the contest's trademark bikinis with Balinese sarongs for its beach fashion segment, thousands have taken to the streets this week to denounce the decision to hold the contest in Indonesia.

On Friday, radicals burned the organisers in effigy and branded them "infidels".

The contest opens in Bali on Sunday and later rounds were due to take place in and around Jakarta, with the winner originally set to be crowned at a venue outside the capital on September 28.

The government said all events would now be held on Bali, where hardline influence is almost non-existent and where the Balinese are used to hordes of foreign tourists sunbathing in skimpy swimwear.

"All the events will now be held at venues in Bali -- it will all be concentrated in Bali, until the closing," coordinating minister for people's welfare, Agung Laksono, told reporters in Jakarta on Saturday.

He said the government had "listened to what the people wanted". The decision was taken in a meeting between Laksono, Vice President Boediono, and police and tourism ministry representatives.

His comments came after some 600 people joined protests Saturday on Java island, bringing along goats wearing Miss World sashes in Yogyakarta city to ridicule the event, while students in Java's Surabaya city held banners reading: "We are ready to die for the Miss World contest to be scrapped".

They join a human rights commissioner, government minister and mainstream Muslim groups who have all voiced their opposition to the event, many arguing it exploited women and was an export of Western hedonism.

Around 90 percent of Indonesia's population of 240 million people identify themselves as Muslim, and the vast majority practise a moderate form of Islam.

There was no immediate reaction from the organisers regarding the change of venue, but the British chairwoman of Miss World Julia Morley told reporters in Bali earlier Saturday that the contest would respect the local culture.

"In keeping with respect for this country, all the girls were happy to work together," she said.

"We didn't want to aggravate or hurt anyone."

Contestants were photographed visiting Bali's attractions, all wearing long-sleeved shirts or body-covering shawls.

The event will feature women from 129 countries, and has been touted by some authorities, including Bali's governor I Made Mangku Pastika, as free promotions for Indonesia's tourism industry.

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Ratu Cantik Amerika Syarikat 2013 Seorang Akauntan

Seorang akauntan berusia 25 tahun dari Connecticut, Erin Brady memenangi gelaran Ratu Cantik AS di sini kelmarin.Brady merangkul gelaran itu di Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas selepas menewaskan 51 jelitawan lain.Pemenang sebelum ini, Nana Meriwether dari Maryland menyampaikan mahkota kemenangan kepada Brady selepas dia diumumkan sebagai pemenang.

Brady menerima mahkota itu serta seunit apartmen mewah di New York selama satu tahun.Dia diumumkan sebagai pemenang selepas menjawab satu soalan tentang keputusan Mahkamah Agung AS menyokong ujian asid deoksiribonukleik (DNA) diperluaskan.

Dengan kemenangan berkenaan, gadis berambut perang itu dijangka terlibat dalam kempen kesedaran kanser ovari dan payudara di AS.Brady yang berasal dari South Glastonbury, Connecticut akan mewakili AS dalam pertandingan Ratu Cantik Universe di Moscow, Rusia pada musim sejuk ini.Ratu Cantik AS 2012, Olivia Culpo menjadi pemenang pertama dari negara itu yang memenangi gelaran Ratu Cantik Universe pada tahun lalu untuk tempoh 16 tahun.-Kosmo

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