Tragic Mistake

The globalization of television and bigger opportunities for commercial gain by promoters of beauty contests have in recent years expanded the number of countries who want to host such international contests. But that commercial drive has run up against tradition and religious beliefs in many countries. A Saudi Arabian English-language paper blames the Nigerian government for the violence by allowing the beauty pageant to be held. It says “The decision to stage the Miss World contest in Nigeria, a country with a significant Muslim population during the holy month of Ramadan defied all common sense. It demonstrated, if demonstration were needed, that the people behind this half-witted event were every bit as half-witted themselves.” The paper does not mention the secular constitution of Nigeria, where a sizable portion of the population is also Christian. Two years ago some 2,000 people were killed in violence between Muslims and Christians. – YaleGlobal