Miss Afghanistan facing prosecution for bikini

VIDA Samadzai, the Miss Afghanistan who was condemned in her homeland for parading in a bikini at the Miss Earth contest, won the pageant’s first Beauty for a Cause award yesterday.

Ms Samadzai, 23, the first Afghan in three decades to take part in a beauty contest, failed to make it to the contest’s semi-finals. But she was cited for "symbolising the newfound confidence, courage and spirit of today’s women" and for "representing the victory of women’s rights and various social, personal and religious struggles".

But she could face prosecution if she returns to Afghanistan because of her attire at the pageant.

Fazel Ahmad Manawi, the deputy head of Afghanistan’s supreme court, said on Saturday that Ms Samadzai, a college student in California, would be betraying Afghan culture by appearing in a bikini and might also be breaking the law.

He added that Afghan prosecutors may open an investigation, but refused to say what charges or penalties she could face.

Ms Samadzai has said she feels uncomfortable in a bikini, but wanted to enter the Miss Earth contest in Manila and raise awareness of the plight of women and children in her homeland.