<p>I’m sorry to not be able to quote it, but I read in an article that she stated she was brought up both Muslim and Christian.</p>
<p>This is interesting.</p>
<p>"The cultural tensions were highlighted this week as the Miss USA pageant released photos of all 50 contestants, including Fakih, in sultry poses on beds wearing lingerie and little else.</p>
<p>In her pageant photo, Fakih gazes at the camera, her fishnet stockings held up by a garter belt as her black hair falls across her side.</p>
<p>It would be a revealing photo for anyone. But perhaps even more so for Fakih, given that she’s an Arab-American Muslim from Dearborn.</p>
<p>Fakih is aware that some in metro Detroit’s Middle Eastern communities may object to women parading their beauty, but she said her family supports her. In fact, her mother encouraged her to compete.</p>
<p>“I think the community in Michigan, in Dearborn, might be a little on the strict side,” Fakih said. “But my family, in general, are not.”</p>
<p>The photographer who shot the provocative images, Fadil Berisha, also happens to be a Muslim and is an immigrant from Albania. He defended the photos, saying that his interpretation of Islam and his culture would allow for such poses.</p>
<p>“The bottom line is, art is art,” Berisha told the Free Press. “As long as it’s done tastefully, it’s fine. We’re not here to be priests or imams.”…</p>
<p>Fakih’s family is itself a blend of cultures and religions, including both Christians and Muslims. Though Muslim, Fakih’s parents celebrate Christmas and have a painting of Jesus in their home."</p>
<p>[Miss</a> Michigan shows Arabs’ diversity | freep.com | Detroit Free Press](<a href=“http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20100515%2FNEWS05%2F5150307%2F&template=fullarticle]Miss”>http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20100515%2FNEWS05%2F5150307%2F&template=fullarticle)</p>
<p>Yeah, I read she said that her family celebrate both. I figured she was being politically correct, trying to be inclusive of Arabs who are Muslim, Maronite Catholic or Eastern Orthodox. I think it’s instructive to point out that there are Muslims who aren’t covered head to toe. I suppose some Muslims would criticize them for not being devout, like the criticism you hear of cafeteria Catholics, etc.</p>
<p>Chrislim? Mustian? Chalchrislim?</p>
<p>I know " good" LDS families who don’t care for Marie Osmond, because it is obvious she doesn’t wear * religious garments*. I can’t imagine what “good” Muslims think of Fakih and her pole dancing.
:eek:</p>
<p>Having now seen the lingerie shots for all 50 contestants, my view of this pageant went way down. I already am not that into pageants, particularly ones with no talent component. I did watch Miss America on TV as a kid though. (grew up not far from Atlantic City)</p>
<p>But these lingerie shots are provocative in nature…not only scantily clad, but the style of the shots are more typical of Playboy or at the least, a Victoria’s Secret catalogue (actually the catalogue is much more tame). I think the lingerie shots diminish the pageant a LOT. It is one thing to have a beauty contest and another to promote sexual images in lingerie (see the photos to see what I mean). Frankly, I don’t see how the pageant can get up in arms about a pole dance in a tee shirt and shorts, when they promoted the contestants in scanty lingerie in provocative poses in a photo shoot. If that’s the image they are going for, the pole dancing fits right in. Not a wholesome image. I recall the Miss America pageant presenting a bit more of a wholesome image (whether it is true today, I don’t know, as I don’t follow pageants).</p>
<p>Just to clarify my earlier post, I meant that it was instructive in that it shows not every Muslim is a jihadist. There’s a whole spectrum. I’d say pole dancing is on the other end of that spectrum.</p>
<p>soozie, that’s what I said in my earlier post about those lingerie shots. Difficult to claim the moral high ground for the Trumpster!</p>
<p>Not all Muslims have the same beliefs. There are Muslims who would find exposing that much skin offensive, and Muslims who wouldn’t. Some Muslims wouldn’t have pet dogs because they’re “dirty”, but I know several Muslims who have pet dogs and love them and baby them. I don’t think there’s any point in painting everyone in this religion with the same brush. Would anyone express surprise that there are Christian girls in this competition with their hair uncovered, even though one of the Gospel writers wrote that women should keep their hair covered? ;)</p>
<p>As for these pageants, I think they’re pretty silly. I can find beautiful pictures of women all over the internet, I am not going to bother turning on the TV to find the exact same thing.</p>
<p>I definitely wouldn’t paint all Muslims with the same brush! It’s just that the pagaent is such a departure for a Muslim young woman (just as I would be surprised to find a contestant who says she’s Amish or Mennonite) … just wondered why I hadn’t heard more. Especially in this area (I know it well).</p>
<p>Emerald…If I recall it happens in a music award show, where families and children were watching the program, and unfortunately Madonna, Spears and Agilira’s ill-behavior overshadowed the music award ceremony. For worse came the imitators and we still have the copy-cats in the TV.</p>
<p>Johnny Weir outfit, full of multi-color blue FEATHERS, was very comical and inappropriate for the Miss. USA pageant, where fashion and elegance reign.—very weird. However, he got the attention that he probably wanted…not that he needed it. Johnny Weir is a national champion figure skater, but with BAD TASTE for cloth…[it is not a matter of being or not a homophobe or hetero] it is a matter of bad selection of cloth. Rresearch it and probably most of the audience could conclude that his outfit was ATROCIOUS. Not sure if he was told, but in an intermission he changed for a little better one… Best he could have done…good grief!</p>
<p>Here is the infamous outfit…here is Johnny Weir: be judge yourself.
<a href=“http://www.dlisted.com/taxonomy/term/558[/url]”>http://www.dlisted.com/taxonomy/term/558</a></p>
<p>Johnny Weir looks like Big Bird in drag.</p>
<p>Can we drop the idea that Johnny is not out of the closet? Appearing in public in that outfit is coming out. He doesn’t need to say it with words.</p>
<p>Though I didnt actually watch the show. (Hey —didnt we all settle this discussion in the '70s!) I did check out J Weirs ensemble online. I thought his outfit was highly appropriate since most of the contestants seem to aspire to the drag queen ideal. Big hair, gaudy ear rings, trashy gowns. <a href=“Baltimore City Paper - Baltimore Sun”>Baltimore City Paper - Baltimore Sun;
<p>Good for Johnny Weir for bringing it home.</p>
<p>Discussing something as anachronistic as a Miss USA pageant is still addictive. Kind of like discussing evolution with people who think the world is only 7000 years old. I know I’m not going to get anywhere with it…but, oh well…I am just a perverted old broad.</p>
<p>Johnny Weir looks like Big Bird …his outfit resembles a Bird.
That’s an awful makeup… bad for a contestant.</p>
<p>see what I mean</p>
<p>Do a search for Johnny Weir and Charles Barkley on Jimmy Kimmel. They are wearing matching outfits - it’s pretty darn funny! :)</p>
<p>Appearing in public in that outfit is coming out. He doesn’t need to say it with words.</p>
<p>There was a whole generation of women who thought Liberace was straight.
Or at least bi.
[Fabulous!](<a href=“bobsliberace.com”>bobsliberace.com)</p>
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<p>I was going to say there’s no accounting for taste, but I think musicamusica has said all that needs to be said ^^^.
Just to be clear, I don’t think Johnny Weir is worried about being "appropriate’. And I think it’s funny how many in the media seem to take his bait.</p>
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<p>Please promise me you won’t tell my 90 y/o Mom.</p>