There’s that war on women again…
Via NYDN:
More than a dozen aspiring beauty queens have ditched their dreams of becoming the first internationally recognized Miss Iraq in more than 40 years, quitting the pageant amid a flurry of criticism and death threats.
At least 15 of the 170 pageant applicants have backed out of the contest — organized as a way to show the world that Iraq is a “civilized country” — after religious extremists condemned the show. The critics believe the competition is un-Islamic and immoral, NBC News reported.
However the organizers and most of the contestants remain determined to press ahead. They see the glitzy show was a crucial step toward normalcy in a society torn apart by ISIS violence and still divided 12 years after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
HT: Mandy Manners