Miss World riots: Media blamed

2002-11-23 20:04

London - A top official for the Miss World pageant on Saturday blamed the international media for overplaying reports of rioting in Nigeria, which led to the event being moved from the Nigerian capital Abuja to London.

Guy Murray-Bruce, national director of the Miss World Nigeria organisation, told BBC radio the "Miss World pageant has nothing to do with any rioting or any deaths".

Fighting that erupted in Nigeria three days ago when Muslim youths protested against a "blasphemous" newspaper article on the beauty contest, has degenerated into a bloody street war between Muslims and Christians.

"I don't regret trying to hold Miss World in Nigeria because we've done our best in every country," he said.

"What happened is a big shame because the international press have highlighted a little incident of some rioting," Murray-Bruce said, adding: "Any death is too much."

"Miss World pageant is all about promoting the country, all about womanhood," Murray-Bruce insisted.

Riots raged on in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna on Saturday after a bloodbath there forced the Miss World organisers to abandon plans to hold the event in Abuja.

The pageant will be held on December 7 in Britain.

"It's because of poor journalism," Murray-Bruce said. He was referring to an article published the Nigerian daily This Day which had suggested, in what was seen as an otherwise inoffensive preview of the pageant, that if the Prophet Mohammed were alive today he might have chosen to take a Miss World contestant as a wife.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Liberation Party in Britain said the event should be cancelled altogether.

"It is in the interests of the Miss World organisers, who have put profit over the role and image of women in this day and age," said party spokesperson Sajjad Khan.

"It is wrong that it should happen in Britain, in Nigeria or in any country. I think the whole idea of having a beauty contest anywhere would be against the ideas of many forward-thinking people of whatever faith and whatever ideology."

Trouble broke out in Kaduna on Wednesday when Muslim youths, incensed by the article, that they deem insulting to the Prophet Mohammed, burned down a local newspaper office.

Red Cross officials said on Saturday about 200 people had been killed, more than 500 injured and some 4 500 driven from their homes. - Sapa-AFP

- SAPA