Press Release
Mrs Universe to be held in Malaysia: An Open Transgression against Islam

For the first time ever, Mrs Universe 2014 Pageant is scheduled to be held in Malaysia and Asia at the end of August 2014. The primary sponsor for the international pageant, SOGO (KL) Department Store Pte. Ltd anticipates that 40-45 countries, including Muslim countries, will take part in the event which is going to be held at Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Kuala Lumpur. The Managing Director of SOGO, Datuk Andrew T K Lim said, all participants will contest for eight days (22-30 August) with photography sessions around the country. This pageant suits with promoting Malaysia in line with the Visit Malaysia Year 2014, he said.

Mrs Universe pageants which began in 2007, as well as the Miss Universe and other beauty pageants, is a Western Kufr culture that exploits the body and beauty of women for economic interests. Regardless of the theme and slogan they carry, what is certain is that in each of the competition, women's body and beauty is displayed for public viewing. Women are treated just like a product. This coming Mrs Universe pageant to be held here clearly shows that Malaysia is still colonized in thought and culture. It also shows that Malaysia is returning to the Days of Ignorance (jahiliyyah) where women are treated as a tool of trade and lust. In addition to cultural liberalisation, the event is indeed an insult to women and their dignity. This kufr culture must not be brought into Muslim lands, including Malaysia.

Hizb ut Tahrir Malaysia hereby stress that the Mrs Universe pageant is a clear transgression (munkar) and is disobedience (ma'siyyah) to Allah (swt). We demand that:

1. The government cancel the contest immediately. Do not invite the wrath of Allah by allowing, let alone encouraging disobedience like this to take place. How many sinful events have taken place before this including the one that ended with fatality...has the government not taken heed?

2. The Religious Authorities strongly stress to the government and the public that this activity is forbidden in Islam and in turn use their power to stop the event.

3. Every Muslim's group, individual Muslim and especially Muslim women must rise up to protest this full of transgression's contest. Sin will undoubtedly be borne by the government, the organisers and all those involved, including those who support or remain silent of this disobedience.

Indeed, what is happening is the outcome of the democratic-capitalism system, a system that is rooted in freedom, allowing anything unlawful in Islam in the name of freedom. Transgression and unlawfulness in any form will continue to exist as long as the country is ruled by a democratic system. Therefore, this system must be ousted and replaced with an Islamic system under the shade of Khilafah "Caliphate". Islam puts women in a place of honor and full of dignity which they never had before the advent of Islam when they were disgraced, treated as a commodity and as a tool to satisfy the lust of men. Only with Khilafah "Caliphate", the honor and dignity of women will be relived and the Khilafah "Caliphate" will certainly disallow all kinds of evil activities in society.

Abdul Hakim Othman
Head of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Malaysia