OhayonEven as eleven other countries have stated or threatened to boycott the Miss World competition being held in Nigeria next month, Jamaica is still planning on sending its representative.
The boycott comes amidst the international outcry against the northern Nigerian court ruling, that Amina Lawal be stoned to death, after she was found guilty of adultery.
The Sunday Gleaner spoke with the local franchise holder of the pageant, Mickey Haughton James, who said that Danielle Ohayon, Jamaica's 2002 representative was still being prepared to go to the competition in November.
"We are monitoring the situation and based on what we are seeing we are comfortable with sending her," said Mr. Haughton-James. The situation Mr. Haughton-James speaks of is a recent pronouncement from the Miss World Pageant that all is being done to help Miss Lawal.
Despite the continued pull-outs of countries from Europe, Miss World will be held in Nigeria as planned.
In a fax sent to the Gleaner Company last week, the international pageant decried the Nigerian Northern court ruling.
'The Miss World Organisation was appalled to hear of such barbarism. Julia Morley has made the strongest representations to the Nigerian government. This included that Miss World 2002 be withdrawn from Nigeria, if such a sentence was not revoked.'
The letter went on to say that the Miss World organisation was guaranteed by the Foreign Affairs Minister that 'the federal laws of Nigeria forbid such actions being taken.' It was in that light that the organisation decided that they would go ahead with plans to host the competition in Nigeria. Similarly the organisation felt that by not having the competition in the country they would be 'abandoning Amina and the 122 million Nigerians that support her'. The Miss World Broadcast they said would be a statement in condemnation of such actions.
Mr. Haughton James said that his local affiliate of the competition stood by the Miss World organisation: "I have to stand by what Miss World says and so far we are continuing with our plans to participate. Nobody has been stoned for the offence before and I really don't think they are going to start now."
Danielle Ohayon , Miss Jamaica World 2002, agreed with the pageant boss. "I don't think anything will happen to the lady. She has a good team of lawyers and I really believe she will get of," said Ms. Ohayon. Continuing she said, "I am looking forward to going (to the competition) and I am currently being prepared for it."
Nigeria won the right to host this year's Miss World finals after their representative to last year's competition, Agbani Darego, took home the crown. However the country has been coming under international pressure as 12 states in Northern Nigeria continue to use the Muslim-based Sharia law.
The countries that have threatened to boycott the competition scheduled for Abuja on November 30 are France, Belgium, Denmark, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Norway and Togo.
