Blackburn Miss Universe hopeful 'will not be bullied out'
10:50am Thursday 24th March 2011 in News
A MUSLIM Miss Universe contestant has said she will not be bullied out of the competition despite receiving death threats.
Shanna Bukhari, 24, who was born in Blackburn, said she feared her life could be in danger after her decision to enter the British heats of the beauty pageant sparked a torrent of abuse online.
She is hoping to become the first Muslim woman to represent Great Britain at the competition, but said she has had to hire bodyguards after she received sinister threats.
She said she did not believe the beauty contest was at odds with her Muslim faith.
Miss Bukhari, who now lives in Manchester, said: “What these people are doing is using the fact that I am a Muslim as a tool to attack me with.
“They are saying I'm using my religion, but I’m not making a point of my religion at all, so that is contradictory.”
The English literature graduate progressed through a semi-final stage of the Miss Universe Great Britain contest in February.
But a newspaper article discussing her bid to win the final in May and go on to compete in Miss Universe in Brazil in September led to hundreds of negative comments online.
She said: “I don’t think anybody should be judged for entering a beauty contest and this competition doesn’t define me as a person.
“I am receiving more support than abuse. I’ve received hundreds of emails of support every day.”
Shanna said she was born in Blackburn and went to primary school in Clayton-le-Moors until the age of nine, before moving away.
Lord Patel of Blackburn said: “People have to remember that whatever she decides to do it is down to individual choice.
“Taking part in a beauty contest is not permitted by Islam, but it is her decision.”
Comments(24)
Frisson
says...
11:31am Thu 24 Mar 11
cathedral citi
says...
11:43am Thu 24 Mar 11
It has taken hundreds of years, to 'water down' the stranglehold of christianity, and now it's going to take a similar length of time, to do the same with Islam.......The Abrahamic traditions have a lot to answer for.....Roll on true secularism.......
ENGLISH SKINHEAD
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12:42pm Thu 24 Mar 11
noddy57
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3:09pm Thu 24 Mar 11
Frisson
says...
3:35pm Thu 24 Mar 11
Ovais789
says...
4:01pm Thu 24 Mar 11
Izanears
says...
4:30pm Thu 24 Mar 11
“Taking part in a beauty contest is not permitted by Islam, WHY WHY WHY
In a book I read recently it said that according to the Islamic calender they are in the 14th century. Judging by the attitudes and dress of some of them, I would have thought it further back than that.
imrank
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6:50pm Thu 24 Mar 11
cathedral citi
says...
7:34pm Thu 24 Mar 11
imrank wrote:and what do exactly mean, by saying, that you 'pray that the lord decides her fate'? Very much sounds like you're wishing her ill......You have absolutely no right to judge a fellow muslim woman, whether she wants to partake in a beauty competition, or not.......in other words: keep your nose out! Period
She does makes it clear, she is not contradicting with Islam, then I assume she knows it is wrong in Islam, I just pray that lord decides her fate.
Jerzei Balowski
says...
7:37pm Thu 24 Mar 11
imrank wrote:Yeah, how dare she choose the customs of the country of her birth over some fairytale written 1500 years ago, very backward of her.
She does makes it clear, she is not contradicting with Islam, then I assume she knows it is wrong in Islam, I just pray that lord decides her fate.
.
Her attitudes are the attitudes that might just lead to racial harmony and integration one day, and the end of racist bigots like the EDL. Your attitudes are the ones which will continue to cause segregation and conflict.
.
Good luck Shanna.
bankhall
says...
7:54pm Thu 24 Mar 11
So someones wrong then because the faith leaders (lol) say it is .
“I don’t think anybody should be judged for entering a beauty contest and this competition doesn’t define me as a person no ?how about bimbo for starters.
cathedral citi
says...
7:58pm Thu 24 Mar 11
gion needs to be taken out of the public sphere, and banished to individual privacy. Then, and only then, will cultural and racial harmony flourish....
jack daniels
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8:19pm Thu 24 Mar 11
Maybe she needs to look for a faith that reflects her modern outlook in life. Unfortunately, children are taught (or brainwashed depending on your opinion) about Islam from an early age and there seems to be no choice in the matter.
jack daniels
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8:22pm Thu 24 Mar 11
BIGGLESTOE
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8:51pm Thu 24 Mar 11
cathedral citi wrote:Fully agree cathedral citi! Personally am C of E with an agnostic taint, but am sick of all types of religious justifications for all violent actions all over the world. We are all equal is my belief. Root out all the radical believers, then we can all get along in a mature friendly fashion. People like Shanna are a welcome inspiration! Best of luck lass! Ooh and I think there is someone/thing that looks over us, who may have devised us as a model experiment, and he/she/it is probably disapointed so far!! Can you blame he/she/it?
Agreed.........i'm a 3rd generation Brit, of muslim heritage. I have long yearned for the muslim world to come out of the dark ages, and grasp modernity. What we're witnessing in the arab world today, with the unrest and protests for change, we could be witnessing the first wave of democracy and modernity in those lands. And this, hopefully, will lead to religious reformation.....Reli
gion needs to be taken out of the public sphere, and banished to individual privacy. Then, and only then, will cultural and racial harmony flourish....
UnionJackForever
says...
2:09am Fri 25 Mar 11
mys
says...
7:48am Fri 25 Mar 11
_____
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12:25pm Fri 25 Mar 11
stevieh
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12:32pm Fri 25 Mar 11
cathedral citi wrote:That is such a refreshing, enlightened post. I would defend to the death the right to believe whatever you please, as did my relatives in the second world war. Please keep religion private. It has no place in the public arena. Well said my friend!
Agreed.........i'm a 3rd generation Brit, of muslim heritage. I have long yearned for the muslim world to come out of the dark ages, and grasp modernity. What we're witnessing in the arab world today, with the unrest and protests for change, we could be witnessing the first wave of democracy and modernity in those lands. And this, hopefully, will lead to religious reformation.....Reli gion needs to be taken out of the public sphere, and banished to individual privacy. Then, and only then, will cultural and racial harmony flourish....
CliveE
says...
6:15pm Fri 25 Mar 11
It is supposed to be a beauty contest.She seems to be using her religion as a big issue.Nowadays,most people do not even care what religion other people are.I know I don't.
security/issolated
says...
7:09pm Fri 25 Mar 11
nice person
says...
4:59pm Sat 26 Mar 11
Best of luck to you.
jack daniels
says...
7:36pm Sat 26 Mar 11
nice person wrote:correct, as always.
She's very pretty and as a human being has every right to decided how she will live and what she will do.As long as she is not harming herself and anyone else she is doing nothing wrong. Best of luck to you.
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cdog says...
11:13am Thu 24 Mar 11
god religion is backwards. oops, i just used the lords name in vain.