We saw the same thing in fellow “moderate” Muslim Malaysia last summer.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Beauty queens and backstage drama may seem inevitable, but at this year’s Miss World competition, something more serious than hair-pulling and name-calling has come from host country Indonesia: Muslim hardliners have threatened to hijack the competition despite major concessions from the government and organizers.

The bikinis that have been a pageant hallmark were replaced with more conservative sarongs three months ago, after a small but vocal group complained that showing too much skin would be offensive to the world’s more populous Muslim country. But that only temporarily quieted protests over the event, which holds its internationally televised finale on Saturday.

The Islamic Defenders Front, known for angry protests and violent raids on bars and prostitution dens, began holding demonstrations weeks ago with thousands displaying signs that read: “Miss World is Whore Contest” and “Miss World Go to Hell.” More mainstream groups, including an influential Islamic body, joined in and called for the show to be banned.

Then just three weeks ago, the government announced that the final would be moved from the outskirts of the capital, Jakarta, and instead held on the Hindu-dominated resort island of Bali where earlier rounds were taking place