World's political woes creeping ashore for 51st Miss Universe contest

Fri May 17, 2:38 PM ET By CARYN NESMITH, Associated Press Writer SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - It's a battle of beauty but the world's political messes are washing ashore on this U.S. Caribbean island where the 51st Miss Universe (news - web sites) pageant is being held in less than two weeks. Miss Lebanon has refused to come because Miss Israel is here. Miss Trinidad and Tobago is getting flak because she's Muslim. And Miss Egypt almost wasn't Miss Egypt after local organizers toyed with the idea of canceling the competition in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. "We have to be careful how we organize events, who we match as roommates, and even who we put together for photos," said Mary Hilliard, a spokeswoman for the New York-based Miss Universe franchise. Delegates from 76 countries are preparing for the May 29 contest. So far, none of the events have turned ugly, organizers say. In previous years, organizers were careful not to mix Miss Lebanon and Miss Israel. This year, however, the problem took care of itself. "Miss Lebanon isn't even here this year. Her national pageant director didn't feel it was right to have her spend three weeks in the same hotel with Miss Israel," Hilliard said. Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in May 2000, ending an 18-year occupation but tensions between the two countries remain. This month, Israeli warplanes overflew Syrian military positions in central and eastern Lebanon, drawing anti-aircraft fire. Lebanon repeatedly has complained about Israeli overflights to the United Nations (news - web sites), which it has said are in violation of Lebanese airspace. "It's very bad, too bad," Miss Lebanon didn't come, said Miss Israel, Yamit Har-Noy, 20, who took time out from serving her mandatory two years service in the Israeli military to compete in the pageant. After the fallout from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the recent turmoil in Israel, Egypt decided not to hold its nationally televised contest and instead held a a makeshift untelevised pageant with only nine competitors. Last year's runner-up Sally Shaheen was chosen to represent Egypt. It plans to hold the real contest in July. "This is my first time out of the Middle East and I was afraid," said Miss Egypt Sally Shaheen, 24. Ongoing tensions in the Middle East have also kept organizers from placing Miss Egypt and Miss Israel next to each other on stage, but this year's Miss Egypt said she "was friends with Miss Israel." The fallout from Sept. 11 has also forced added security at the pageant, said security director Willie Newman. The number of security guards has grown by more than 10 percent, he said. "We're so affected by the terrorism, that the entertainment of the pageant is very important to Israelis," Har-Noy said. Another minor controversy has been over Muslim candidates. Some Muslim groups in Trinidad and Tobago have complained that the Caribbean nation's Muslim candidate, Nasma Mohammed, is an embarrassment to the faith. "I'm very religious. My faith has given me an inner peace to accomplish many of my goals," says Mohammed, a 23-year-old bank trainee with a bachelor's degree in management and chemistry. Miss Turkey and Miss Greece are also never paired together because of territorial disputes over the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Diplomatic talks have made minimal progress toward reunifying the island, which has been split into a Turkish-occupied north and a Greek Cypriot-controlled south since Turkey invaded in 1974 in the wake of a coup by Greek Cypriot supporters of union with Greece. "I think she's great and I like (Miss Turkey) very much," said Miss Greece, Lena Paparrigopoulou. "We are all different cultures here together. I want to show this is possible also in politics," said Turkey's Cagla Kubat. Hilliard, who has organized the pageant for three years, said other apolitical obstacles have also required diplomatic skill. Miss Philippines and Miss India, for example, are put in separate rooms because they always bring too many suitcases, Hilliard said. Despite a common language, Miss Venezuela and Miss Puerto Rico also won't be roommates. When Miss Universe Denise Quinones visited Venezuela last year, the South American country's media pounced on the Puerto Rican beauty queen, criticizing she had gained a few extra pounds. Last year, protests from China forced Miss Taiwan to change her name — and all her publicity materials — to Miss Chinese Taipei. The two sides split amid civil war in 1949, and they are separated by the 160-kilometer-wide (100-mile-wide) Taiwan Strait. Some believe Taiwan is part of China. Taiwan didn't show up this year, but China sent its first delegate in 51 years to the pageant this year, as did Albania. But while the world watches her country in turmoil, Miss Israel said the conflicts shouldn't taint the pageant's purpose. "The pageant has nothing to do with politics; it's just a beauty contest," she said.