An Islamic group in northern Nigeria has opposed the hosting of the 2002 Miss World beauty pageant in the country.
Nigeria is due to host this year's edition of Miss World in November, a year after its national, Agbani Darego, won the competition.
But a Sokoto-based Islamic group, the Jama'atul Muslimeem, said it was against the event from going ahead because of its negative moral implications on society.
The contest has a "high potential to breed promiscuity in the nation", the group's secretary Mr Dahiru Mohammed Argungu told reporters.
He described the proposed pageant as a "parade of nudity" that will make nonsense of ongoing campaigns against HIV/AIDS that is ravaging the country.
Mr Argungu said the contest is also an insult to Islam since it has been arranged to coincide with the Holy month of Ramadan when Muslims will be observing their annual fasting.
AFP