Thursday, September 5, 2002

A story published today by the Chicago Sun-Times reports that several Miss World contestants say they will boycott this year's beauty pageant in Nigeria after an Islamic court there sentenced the single mother of a baby to death by stoning.

Africa's most populous nation will host the contest in November after the victory last year of its entrant, Agbani Darego, the first black African to win the title.

Miss Norway, Kathrine Soerland, condemned the stoning sentence as "utterly revolting" and warned organizers she would not attend the competition unless Lawal was pardoned.

Eighteen-year-old Miss Ivory Coast, Yannick Azebian, said: "I'm not going to Nigeria, and I hope my decision will help save Amina Lawal."

Miss Togo, Sandrine Agbopke, said: "Stoning this woman is not right. All of society should rise up to end this sort of practice."

Beauty queens representing the Netherlands and Poland also have criticized the sentence, and the threatened boycott is expected to grow.

President Olusegun Obasanjo has so far resisted calls from civil liberties organizations to intervene but will be distressed that the opportunity to host the pageant is being overshadowed.

With an audience of 1.2 billion in 140 countries, Miss World is billed as the event seen by more people than any other.

"I don't think what is going on will lead to her death," the president said. "Indeed, if it does, which I very much doubt, I will weep for myself, I will weep for Amina, and I will weep for Nigeria."

Kenya has called on Nigeria's leaders to intervene for the benefit of the entire continent--or face the wrath of its neighbors.