The Miss World competition is having a bikini ban this year as the pageant is being held in Indonesia. The ban comes as a result of protests from Muslim groups which want the pageant to be more conservative.
Instead of wearing small, sexy bikinis at the Miss World 2013 pageant, every one of the more than 130 contestants will have to wear Bali's traditional long sarongs, Adjie S. Soeratmadjie of the RCTI, the official broadcaster and local organizer said according to Fox.
This year's pageant is being held on Sept. 28 on the resort island of Bali and in Sentul, near Jakarta in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country.
"There will no bikini in this year's Miss World pageant to respect our traditional customs and values," Soeratmadjie said according to Fox. "This is a sensitive issue in Indonesia. We have discussed it since last year and they have agreed."
The London-based Miss World Organization has approved the decision. Chairwoman, Julia Morley said that not one of the 137 contestants will be in a bikini.
"Indonesia is designing for us a very beautiful one-piece beachwear, and I'm very happy with them," she told The Associated Press. She said this pageant will include a special beachwear fashion show.
"I don't think Indonesia is the only country that has that culture," Morley said. "But we like to work in the manner respectful to every country, and I cannot see why when you go to somebody's country you should not behave
respectfully."
The Miss World pageants had been been running since the 1950's and the contestants have worn bikinis since the beginning. Soeratmadjie says the the sarongs are specifically designed for this year's event.
The switch to sarongs is a small compromise as some protesters want the pageant to be cancelled completely.
Indonesian Council of Ulema, or MUI, claims they're going to send a letter to the Indonesian president, asking that it be cancelled.
"That contest is just an excuse to show women's body parts that should remain covered," said Mukri Aji, a prominent cleric from MUI. "It's against Islamic teachings."
Some other groups plan to hold protests.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
