Did someone call for more hotties? Well, this desi hottie is at the center of a brewing diplomatic incident. You see, Mariyah Moten entered a beauty pageant on China’s Hainan Island — which is becoming a sort of tacky Asian Costa del Sol — representing Pakistan, but clad in the most un-Islamic attire that you see in the picture to the right. Not only that, but Mariyah isn’t even a Pakistani citizen to begin with. She’s a naturalized US citizen. So basically this semi-naked American chick is giving Pakistan a bad — or at least, unclad — name at a third-rate beauty pageant in some Chinese seaside town. All this courtesy of the Daily Mail (via a kind tipster on the News tab):
“We have asked our missions in Washington and Beijing to investigate this because it is against our policy, culture and religion,” senior Culture Ministry official Abdul Hafeez Chaudhry said. …
Moten, a student of hotel management at the University of Houston, was born and brought up in the Pakistani city of Karachi.
Mr Chaudhry said Pakistan – which does not hold beauty contests – might take the issue up with China, depending on the result of the investigation.
He also said the government might withdraw from Moten special privileges offered to people of Pakistani descent such as visa-free travel to Pakistan.
Well. This story clearly called for further investigation, and Sepia Mutiny can now report that the beauty pageant was, in fact, Miss Bikini Universe, and it was the first time that Pakistan was represented in that hallowed competition. She was entered by an organization called Miss Pakistan World, which holds beauty pageants for women of Pakistani origin from its base in Canada. Miss Pakistan World is quite a full fledged operation with, it might be noted, corporate sponsors in both North America and in Pakistan.
The reigning Miss Pakistan World is Sehr Mahmood — there she is on the right — who has an honors degree in Economics and is planning on going to business school after her year-long reign. In an interview with a site called The Real Desi, Sehr has some very solid things to say, including this, when asked who she considered a role model:
Mukhtar Mai, a rape victim in Pakistan, who was gang-raped on the orders of a tribal council in rural Punjab as a punishment for the actions of her brother has influenced my personal life in a big way. Her strength and attitude is a symbol of human courage and perseverance. Here is a remarkable woman who has chosen to take a stand against the mistreatment meted out to her, at a time when millions of other women in the same predicament chose to suffer in silence. Mukhtar has continued her struggle and lead the protest for equal rights on international womenÂ’s day. Her remarkable story and tireless activism represents the way for victims of violence everywhere. She has the courage to stand against all the injustice against the women in a civilized society which is very unthinkable in today’s society. I really admire Mai’s courageous stand and hope this case will be the beginning of a change of attitudes and procedures and respect for women in Pakistan and hope that other women will come forward to demand the changes that are required. In a country where women’s rights have a long way to go, I find Mai very courageous to have come forward with her devastating rape case. She brings hope to thousands of women in Pakistan who are constant victims of domestic abuse and honour cases. Mukhtar Mai’s courage and leadership will offer a beacon of hope to oppressed women everywhere.
A desi sister with an economic degree and serious social awareness — now that, as they say, is hot.
You may conduct your own research into Miss Pakistan International and its activities at their site. More hotties await.
dude, not-work-safe!!! post the schwarz-fleisch below the fold….
aargh… my eyes. my eyes.
This is extremely important.
Thanks Siddhartha!
At least these two women are smiling in their pics. So many “hot” pics of women trying to look “hot” have them almost growling into the camera. No one looks happy.
The thing is, they are wearing so much makeup that it is hard to tell if they are naturally good looking or not.
From photos like these it is almost impossible to tell what the person really looks like.
I wonder if Muktar Mai will become the Pakistani beauty pagent equivalent to what Mother Theresa was (still is) in Indian pagents.
She will be invited to the first SM meet-up in Houston next February where we will get to the bottom of this whole incident.
the sacrifices you make for science….
I heard John Abraham is shooting in Cali this month for his next Bollywood venture. Can you get on top of that and invite him to the LA meetup?
There is something ironic about women fighting “oppression” by taking off their clothes, and in turn becoming sexual objects…not that I am complaining…but surely there are hotter Pakistani women.
Fei, they’re jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
I never took you for a booty man, Abhi.
god bless her good sense People who are opposed to her appearing in a pageant, also hate freedom, america, texas, babies, puppies, teddy bears, ice cream and good old fashioned wholesome fun.
p.s. hopefuly, we will get to see her in a hindi phillum at the soonest.
I heard that copies of Maxim were dropped from American planes when America was over there bombing out the Taliban.
I guess it was a gesture to show how “free” Afghanis could be if they would just let America do their thing.
Funny.
From the frying pan into the fire.
Just like the idea of opening up a Hooter’s in India (which I think never went through or flopped).
Why is it always the women of a culture who are the first expected to shed their clothes and pimp their curves?
Why not men?
I can’t picture regular college going Indian women in India working at Hooter’s for some college cash. They would have had to employ either Russians (or other pardesis) or prostitutes.
I think that’s the problem they ran into when they tried to put the plan into action.
Thank you Siddharth. I love the posts highlighting communal harmony. Check out Miss India’s FIFA World Cup-inspired bikini. Righ in time for Fashion Week.
Aber was ist “mahmood”? Ich sage, daß sie scharf ist!
Ha ha ha!
cough Sehr scharf.
Danke.
“I can’t picture regular college going Indian women in India working at Hooter’s for some college cash. They would have had to employ either Russians (or other pardesis) or prostitutes.
I think that’s the problem they ran into when they tried to put the plan into action.”
I agree with you, but how does one explain this?
so what is the consensus? is she good or ba dlooking? I vote for the former. not bad at all in the bikini pic.
Not only that, but Mariyah isnÂ’t even a Pakistani citizen to begin with. SheÂ’s a naturalized US citizen.
She could be a dual citizen or similar status. Pakistan and US have had some arrangement for a while.
We do not know.
Hit or miss. Hit, my answer.
Taz! Do something!
Sehr Mahmood’s left eyebrow is scary.
Please remove the picture or atleast move it down so that it’s not in the top portion of the page. otherwise , i will have to stop visiting SM until you have a new blog entry on top of it.
She looks familiar…I know I’ve seen her out and about in the metro area (in a non-pageant setting), but for the life of me, I can’t remember where/when…
So there’s a date! Might I suggest Halal Wok on Hillcroft? They have the best eggrolls. And the proprietor’s a hoot. 🙂
Speaking of Hillcroft… is Sheikh Chilli’s still around? Might be a bit grubby for this jet setting crowd… but that there’s good eatin’…
Bikinis Over Bombs ! Very Cool – Mr. Chaudhry can learn a few things.
Not to threadjack but all suggestions will be welcome. Hell, SM’s new Houston Bureau chief might just hold the meet-up at the bureau offices and cater from all these places 🙂
I’m on it.
…….uh…….
Does anyone have John Abrahams phone number? Or contact for his PR folks? The LA Meetup organizers could really use your help…
Damn, if any of these uptight SM posters (pls tell me “MG” that you are kidding) had anything to do with it, the population of South Asia would seriously be under control.
Why can’t one of you sexually awkward dorks just be honest and say that the chick is HOT and you would hit it?? F*** her econ degree and supposed “awareness”, as cool as that is – do you want to talk guns and butter with her, or just GUNS and BUTTER?? Pray tell… 🙂
You don’t say…
Pakistanis and other moslems need to give back Arab culture and believes back to the arabs.
India is the nation of Kama Sutra, female figure is to be admired, not to be hidden and scared of.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/interactivity/poll/story/2006/08/060816_mukhtar_mai_one.shtml
I can’t read Urdu but check out Mukhtar mai’s blog, typed by the BBC correspondent as she tells her story…
the quoted paragraph contains various forms of the word “courage” five times. even if she has a degree in economics and not english, she couldn’t bring it upon herself to consult a thesaurus?
also the bikini chick is nowhere near the “baseline” hotness of a pakistani woman, although her BMI is probably similar–pakistani females have yet to indulge in the full-fledged cardio//dietary restriction lifestyle combo across socioeconomic strata.
you would hit it
amen bitch! speak truth to power and all dat shiz.
one more post: right-most girl in the top row on the linked page is the prettiest. she has the ‘good’ version of the aquiline pakistani nose.
this sehr chiklet looks like shes from delhi…..hardly a ‘classic'(i know i know) pakistani beauty…..
and that picture of the other object of the discussion looks like is the ‘before’part of a cellulite treatment ad….
miss for the bikini chik……close hit for Mz Mehmood
builder – per my previous post, i rest my case. dude, stop analyzing and just enjoy some wonderful brown female aesthetic.
razib (“amen bitch! speak truth to power and all dat shiz.”) – how did this become “ebonic”? that ain’t cool.
get some Sehr or equivalent, bhai – i assure you that your avail. time to post on here will decline as a result. ;-))
once you go brown, you never turn around.
so wait is she not good looking for a Pakistani?
so wait is she not good looking for a Pakistani?
of course not! pakistani chix are the smokin’ist in the world!
hehe razib serious opinions mah man. the legs don’t look real toned.
Vivo, ever seen Marilyn Monroe’s arms/legs/lightly-covered-ass close up on old tv? UNTONED. Still considered the sexiest chick ever.
“of course not! pakistani chix are the smokin’ist in the world!”
Under all those burkas eh?
Under all those burkas eh?
it keeps ’em fair i tell you (though alas their nips are still brown).
it keeps ’em fair i tell you (though alas their nips are still brown).
Aw, no chocolate chips on your cookie?
Sure, you all would hit that…if they’d let you. Dream on 😉
Vivo and you’re God’s gift to women eh? What a dorky comment about the legs not looking toned…
The Makhani and Moten galz are the hottest on the linked page. A couple of the rest are well Lajo aunty next door.
I can see where you’re coming from, but that’s nullified by the fact that she has a bad gum-to-tooth ratio.
Toned or not, I’ll hit em both – I like people with high standards, that leaves good stuff for dorks like me. 🙂
Heee! Well, I’m still in the exploring-of-Houston phase…I also recommend Birraporetti’s (downtown, not River Oaks) & Mucky Duck’s (Wednesday nights during their jammin’ sessions are always fun).