29 March 2011

Muslim model defends Miss Universe contest bid

.... If Shanna wins the UK final on 1 May, she'll be the first ever Muslim to represent Britain in the grand final in Brazil later this year.

"People are attacking me, using religion as a tool, but is it really religion? "Or are you really jealous of a girl coming forward and not allowing anyone to dictate to her? "There are people out there who want to control women," Shanna said.

Meanwhile, other young Muslims have told Newsbeat that being allowed to live a Western lifestyle in the UK is a big issue. Rayan Jawad, 27, said: "This is a discussion that goes on all the time. "She's doing pretty much what any girl would love to do who's been brought up here." Rumena Begum, 18 said: "It goes against our morals and our religion. [BBC] Read more