From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Wed Jul 29 2009 - 05:05:12 EDT
Dear all!
Things are sometimes said out of frustration and everyone has done it
time to time. I said earlier that the PFDJ should split into two
parties. Because clearly, you cannot let pro-West individuals run a
deeply religious conservative country like Eritrea. Especially
considering that Eritrea has been at war against Western hegemony and
neo-colonialism for decades. It just doesn't make sense. It's worth
mentioning that the Miss Eritrea beauty pageant is originated from
America (where else?) I don't want to offend anybody but the fact is
that culture is much less a concern than money for most Americans. In
fact, rampant greed has evolved to such an extent that it is
overwhelming their national sense of honesty and ethics. The organizers
of Miss Eritrea, and Eritrea's cultural organizers for that matter,
should understand that Eritrea and US are two completely different
countries. The beauty contest which lacks socio-economic, moral and
ethical consideration cannot be an asset for the majority of the
Eritrean people who are Muslim and Christian believers. Needless to
mention that the so-called beauty contest is also against the history,
tradition and culture of Eritrea. Having said that, I hope the cultural
organizers of our country are watching what's happening in Nigeria.
A Dehai member from US was quoted as saying "(the winner of Miss Eritrea
beauty pageant) could play a much more effective role in representing
and introducing Eritrea in a short time than those of us cranky whiners
could have done in our life time". This is, of course, the key argument
the organizers of "Miss Eritrea" used to sell this perverts shop window
to the Eritrean government.This is also an example of individuals who
deliberately confuse tawdry objectification of women with empowerment
because they think it will sell. Obviously his English is very good but
he needs to improve his sales skills. The reality is that the large
number of people who show interest to see those programmes are
interested in seeing attractive sexy young women, moving gracefully in
revealing evening dresses, nothing more, nothing less.
I personally see beauty pageants as highly destructive and a product of
a very sick Western culture where women are not valued as anything other
than sexual creatures. But then again, maybe it's just me. I wouldn't
like to generalize but a beauty pageant pander to attract perverts,
sexual predators, weirdoes, social misfits. This is not the kind of
"tourists" Eritrea needs or deserves. You know, Eritrea on a whole is a
very safe country. There are not many places in this world where a women
can walk the streets alone in the middle of the night without fear. I
guarantee however, that everything will change if Eritrean women are
perceived as primarily a good body, which is a short step to those
bodies being owned, being mistreated, being denigrated - those ideas can
lead to violence, abuse and rape. Needless to say, the entire beauty
pageant system is perverse and needs to be shut down, immediately. I
mean, is appeasing a bunch of corrupt individuals worth alienating your
own people? I hope not.
Biniam Haile