VIDEO | 1.59 mins

While praising the government’s stance in prohibiting Muslim women from participating in beauty pageants, PAS Youth questions its “double standards” in not adopting the same stance for Muslim men’s entry in bodybuilding competitions.

Stating that the Islamic religious council should take a “wider angle” in terms of enforcement in the country instead of merely focussing on beauty pageants alone, Federal Territory PAS Youth information chief Yusapiza Yaacob pointed out that the religion also prohibits the exposure of the aurat by men.

“The banning of exposing the aurat for women is the same as the exposing the aurat for men. What more if it is for public viewing and contest.

“Let us not place aurat restrictions merely on women. The Islamic religious council, muftis and others should be firm in carrying out syariat obligations without prejudice,” he said in a statement today.

NONE He was referring to the recent case in which four Muslim finalists were dropped from the Miss World Malaysia 2013 running by pageant organisers to avoid contravening a 1997 fatwa (religious edict) barring Muslim participation in beauty pageants.

Yusapiza said that in Islam, aurat for women refers to the whole body, with the exception of the face and palm of the hands, while for men, it refers to the part of the body between the navel and knees.

He said bodybuilding is not very different from beauty pageants as both require clothing which clearly exposes the aurat and is viewed by the public, with men having to adorn nothing but underwear when competing.

“Why is there double standards between the two competitions?” he asked.

Miss World Malaysia organisers had last Thursday met with the Federal Territories Islamic Department (Jawi) officials to appeal the ban, citing changes to the way the international pagent is run which allows more modest clothing for Muslim women.

However, this was rejected by Jawi, while Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom stated that the National Fatwa Council still deems it ‘ haram ’ for Muslim women to take part in beauty pageants, even if they do not parade in swimwear.

This year’s Miss World pageant will be held in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation.