Posted on 06/28/2005 6:47:48 AM PDT by Pikamax
Islamic Hard-Liners Disrupt Indonesian Transvestite Pageant
"PA"
Islamic hard-liners barged in on Indonesia’s transvestite beauty pageant, panicking its skimpily dressed contestants, but failing to stop the show – the second year running that the world’s most populous Muslim nation has staged such an event.
Dressed in white tunics and prayer caps, about 10 members of the Islamic Defender’s Front pushed their way into the nightclub yesterday where 30 contestants were competing for the title of Miss Transvestite.
After 20 minutes of tense negotiations, the show continued, though organisers agreed to finish early in deference to the group, which has a history of vandalising entertainment centres it considers un-Islamic.
“We were all traumatised. They said we were immoral, but God created us this way,” said show organiser Megi Megawati. “I am a Muslim too, but I respect other people. Why can’t they?”
Indonesia has a secular government and the practice of Islam is more moderate and less austere than in the Middle East. Still, in recent years, hard-liners have gained ground and there have been a series of bloody terrorist attacks against Western targets.
The Islamic Defenders Front was formed in 2000 and campaigns for the imposition of Islamic Shariah law. Despite its overt displays of piousness, many analysts say that the group’s primary motive is extorting money from frightened bar owners – not Islamic principles.
“Transvestites should not be made into a role model,” said the Alawi Usman, who heads the group’s vice-investigation squad. “We are worried it could influence our children.”
Homosexuality is considered a sin according to Islamic tenets and many Muslims are uneasy with the way transvestitism blurs the boundary between traditional gender roles.
But the Miss Transvestite Indonesia pageant highlights Indonesia’s seeming tolerance for transvestites and transsexuals. Known as “waria” – a combination of the Indonesian words for man and women – they regularly appear as hosts on television entertainment shows.
But discrimination is rife, said Megawati, and many waria turn to prostitution.
“Animals are treated better,” he said. “We tried to do this event to show that we are regular people and look what happened.”
The winner of yesterday’s show – a 20-year-old public relations worker called Olivia – won the equivalent of £137 and a return air ticket to Bangkok, Thailand, where he will compete in an international transvestite pageant next year.
Or maybe not...
This never happened in the eyes of the Left.
I can't help it, can you imagine what the hell this raid must have looked like? Guys in white tunics and prayer caps chasing drag queens around a night club-sounds like a Mel Gibson movie. How in the hell can anybody take this sort of stuff seriously? You can't make this stuff up!
Cross-dressers & wahabists mixing it up in a nightclub. What a freak-show! Some creative hollywood type could probably turn it into a sit-com...
Wow, what side does a liberal choose?
*hard*liners?
We have always been at war with Eurasia.
I was thinking that too ... pass the popcorn.
What?
They didn't get their HEADS lopped off?~}
Mel Gibson. Was that the guy in the dirty nighshirt ?
Did it ever really leave?
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