Manila, Nov 07: A 23-year-old Afghan woman denounced by her country`s supreme court for wearing a bikini during a beauty pageant said she felt uncomfortable in the skimpy attire, but did it to raise awareness of the plight of women and children in her homeland. Vida Samadzai paraded down a catwalk in a red bikini in the Philippines two weeks ago as part of the Miss Earth contest, becoming the first Miss Afghanistan in 30 years. "I know that ... It`s caused a lot of controversy and I didn`t feel comfortable wearing it ... Because it`s not just my culture," Samadzai said in an interview. But wearing the two-piece bathing suit was necessary to qualify for the contest, she said.
At a meeting of the Afghan supreme court in Kabul last week, judges condemned Samadzai`s appearance, which is a radical departure from the traditional image of Afghan women - many of whom still wear all-covering burka robes despite the fall of the hardline Taliban regime nearly two years ago. "Women who show their bodies without clothes in front of people are completely against Shariah (Islamic) law, against Islam and against the culture of the Afghan people," the court said, according to a state TV report in Kabul. Samadzai`s participation in the contest hasn`t been publicized in Afghanistan, where most of the impoverished population lacks access to outside media. She said she was "appointed" as a contestant by people aware of her work as a volunteer fund raiser and as a founder of an Afghan women`s rights organization. "It gives me a chance to speak up and send my voice out there and let people know that the Afghans are in great need of help," she said. Bureau Report