VIDEOLIB Archive: [Videonews] OF FATWAS AND BEAUTY QUEENS from Filmakers Library

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This lively film was a favorite at the National Media Market. It would =
work well in Middle East Studies, Womens Studies and Media Studies.=20

A beauty pageant in Nigeria was the flashpoint for a cultural, =
political, and religious war in this impoverished country with its =
crumbling infrastructure. Set against the conflict between the Muslim =
north and the Christian south, the Miss World contest came to an ironic =
and devastating end as beautiful young ladies from many nations around =
the world, scantily clad by Muslim standards, were to compete during the =
holy month of Ramadan. The charming young women were bewildered by the =
calamitous effect their appearance was to cause in this Islamic state.=20

A 21-year-old Nigerian woman journalist, Isioma Daniel, was covering the =
event for a local paper. She had studied abroad but had returned, =
believing she could make a contribution to her country. In her news =
article, "The World at Their Feet" she casually wrote "What would =
Mohammed think? He would probably have chosen a wife from the =
contestants."=20

Those words inflamed the mullahs and incited riots that turned Muslims =
against Christians in bloody rampages. Hundreds of people were killed =
and dozens of villages destroyed. The office of her paper in northern =
Nigeria was burned to the ground. Before the dust settled, the pageant =
had been cancelled, the beauty queens had fled, and Isioma escaped into =
exile with a "fatwa" issued against her life.=20

Salman Rushdie and Ken Wiwa (son of the martyred activist Ken Saro-Wiwa) =
offer their perspective on the human rights issues. Rushdie brought the =
case to the world's attention and ultimately helped Isioma find refuge =
in Norway.=20

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Dear Colleagues:

This lively film was a favorite at the National Media Market. It = would work=20 well in Middle East Studies, Womens Studies and Media Studies. =

Of Fatwas & Beauty Queens

A beauty pageant in Nigeria was the flashpoint for a cultural, = political, and=20 religious war in this impoverished country with its crumbling = infrastructure.=20 Set against the conflict between the Muslim north and the Christian = south, the=20 Miss World contest came to an ironic and devastating end as beautiful = young=20 ladies from many nations around the world, scantily clad by Muslim = standards,=20 were to compete during the holy month of Ramadan. The charming young = women were=20 bewildered by the calamitous effect their appearance was to cause in = this=20 Islamic state.

A 21-year-old Nigerian woman journalist, Isioma Daniel, was covering = the=20 event for a local paper. She had studied abroad but had returned, = believing she=20 could make a contribution to her country. In her news article, "The = World at=20 Their Feet" she casually wrote "What would Mohammed think? He would = probably=20 have chosen a wife from the contestants."

Those words inflamed the mullahs and incited riots that turned = Muslims=20 against Christians in bloody rampages. Hundreds of people were killed = and dozens=20 of villages destroyed. The office of her paper in northern Nigeria was = burned to=20 the ground. Before the dust settled, the pageant had been cancelled, the = beauty=20 queens had fled, and Isioma escaped into exile with a "fatwa" issued = against her=20 life.

Salman Rushdie and Ken Wiwa (son of the martyred activist Ken = Saro-Wiwa)=20 offer their perspective on the human rights issues. Rushdie brought the = case to=20 the world's attention and ultimately helped Isioma find refuge in = Norway.

Middle East Studies Association, 2007

48 min. Video or DVD. Sale $295. Video rental $65.

http://www.filmake= rs.com/indivs/of_fatwas.htm

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