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World beauties rush to aid of woman
in Nigeria

Indian beauty and former Miss World Diana Hayden has said the pageant, which has been mired in controversy this year, should not be boycotted even though it is being held in a country where a woman has been sentenced to death by stoning for allegedly committing adultery.

Host country Nigeria has been facing growing protests after a Muslim Sharia court in the north of the country sentenced 30-year-old Amina to death after she had a baby outside marriage.

Outraged Miss World contestants, led by Miss Denmark Masja Juel, have said they would boycott the contest if the sentence is not revoke.

Others who have joined the boycott include contestants from Panama, Belgium, France, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Iceland, Kenya, South Africa and Costa Rica.

Despite the boycott organisers of the contest are going ahead with preparations for the finale, which will be staged in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on December 7.

Nigerian government officials insist they will not permit the stoning sentence to be carried out, but they have refused to intervene directly to avoid alienating Muslim voters ahead of elections next year.

Hayden, the 1997 Miss World, said in an interview with a London newspaper, "I do not agree with the boycott as I feel the contestants are not going to be heard by protesting in this manner.

"They are more likely to be heard if they take part in the contest and then air their views when they have the world media's attention.

"When you have a platform like the Miss World contest to speak from, you will be heard. There is no point in boycotting the show. There are about 100 participants so even if some girls do not participate, the show will continue."

However, some participants favour direct action, and among them is Miss Panama Yoselyn Sanchez, who said, "If my refusal to go helps save the young Amina from execution, then it is something I do with much pleasure.

"Although their culture is very different from ours, no one should be stoned to death," she added.

Miss World organisers have since announced that they will stage their own protest against the death sentence as part of the contest, but Sanchez said the Nigerian government would censor it.

"It's a very delicate situation. The truth is that once there it would be difficult to protest because l think the press there is a mouthpiece for the government," she said.

Such is the power of the protests that the British monarch's youngest son, Prince Edward, decided last week not to attend a $1500-a-plate dinner in London in honour of the contest.

His decision followed comments by Paul Stinchcombe, a parliamentarian from the ruling Labour Party, who said, "I'm sure Prince Edward doesn't mean to give any implied support to human rights abuses in Nigeria, but he has an option to back those would-be contestants who are taking a brave stand... it would be a real pity if he didn't make that choice."

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