Pakistani-American to participate in 'Mrs World 2007' contest
Wed, 21 Feb 2007
Islamabad, Feb 21 Misbah Iqbal, a 22-year old Pakistani-American mother of three, is on her way to Moscow to take part in a world beauty pageant, but says she will don a one-piece swimsuit instead of anything skimpier.
She is to compete for 'Mrs World 2007' title.
She says she loves Islam and is proud of her Pakistani culture, respects those who wear the hijab, is a liberal and looks up to Begum Sehba Musharraf, Pakistan's First Lady, and Benazir Bhutto, the country's only woman prime minister, as her role models.
Popular Pakistani fashion model Iman Ali is her beauty and fashion idol. Misbah came to the US at the age of 11 and is working as a medical assistant in Houston, Texas.
Asked if she had a message for Pakistani women, she replied, 'Follow your dreams.' Misbah claims no official backing, The Daily Times said.
Although there is nothing official about such competitions or the competitors, past attempts by émigré Pakistani women to contest in such beauty pageants has been scoffed at by the government.
These women have also earned the ire of the conservatives and the clergy in the country who say that they are acting against Pakistani culture and giving the country a bad name.
A minister and senior officials of the present government had strongly disapproved when another US-based girl had donned a bikini, claiming to represent Pakistan, and participated in a beauty pageant in China last year.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/32835.html
Wed, 21 Feb 2007
Islamabad, Feb 21 Misbah Iqbal, a 22-year old Pakistani-American mother of three, is on her way to Moscow to take part in a world beauty pageant, but says she will don a one-piece swimsuit instead of anything skimpier.
She is to compete for 'Mrs World 2007' title.
She says she loves Islam and is proud of her Pakistani culture, respects those who wear the hijab, is a liberal and looks up to Begum Sehba Musharraf, Pakistan's First Lady, and Benazir Bhutto, the country's only woman prime minister, as her role models.
Popular Pakistani fashion model Iman Ali is her beauty and fashion idol. Misbah came to the US at the age of 11 and is working as a medical assistant in Houston, Texas.
Asked if she had a message for Pakistani women, she replied, 'Follow your dreams.' Misbah claims no official backing, The Daily Times said.
Although there is nothing official about such competitions or the competitors, past attempts by émigré Pakistani women to contest in such beauty pageants has been scoffed at by the government.
These women have also earned the ire of the conservatives and the clergy in the country who say that they are acting against Pakistani culture and giving the country a bad name.
A minister and senior officials of the present government had strongly disapproved when another US-based girl had donned a bikini, claiming to represent Pakistan, and participated in a beauty pageant in China last year.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/32835.html
