Editing Miss World (section)

===Nigeria 2002===
{{Main|Miss World 2002}}

In the year leading up the finals in Nigeria, several European title holders lobbied their governments and the EU parliament to support [[Amina Lawal]]'s cause.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenation.com/doc/20021223/pollitt |title=As Miss World Turns |work=The Nation |access-date=24 May 2011}}</ref> A number of contestants followed the lead of [[Kathrine Sørland]] of Norway in boycotting the contest (despite the controversy, Sørland became a semifinalist in both the Miss World and Miss Universe contests), while others, such as Costa Rica, were instructed by their national governments and parliaments not to attend. Among the other boycotting nations were Denmark, Spain, Switzerland, Panama, Belgium and Kenya. There was further controversy over the possibly suspended participation of France and South Africa, which might or might not have been due to the boycott.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pageantopolis.com/international/World_2002.htm |title=Miss World 2002 |publisher=Pageantopolis |access-date=24 May 2011 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124032347/http://www.pageantopolis.com/international/World_2002.htm |archive-date=24 November 2010 }}</ref> Lawal asked that contestants not suspend their participation in the contest, saying that it was for the good of her country and that they could, as the representative of Sweden had earlier remarked, make a much stronger case for her on the ground in Nigeria.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/09/25/nigeria.stoning/ |title=Woman sentenced to stoning freed |publisher=CNN |date=26 September 2003 |access-date=24 May 2011}}</ref>

Despite the increasing international profile the boycott was garnering in the world press, the contest proceeded in Nigeria after being rescheduled to avoid taking place during Ramadan, with many prominent nations sending delegates. Osmel Sousa of Venezuela, one of the world's most influential national directors, said, "there is no question about it [the participation of Miss Venezuela in the contest]." But the trouble did not end there. A ''ThisDay'' ([[Lagos]], Nigeria) newspaper editorial suggesting that [[Muhammad]] would probably have chosen one of his wives from among the contestants had he been alive to see it resulted in inter-religious riots that started on 22 November in which over 200 people were killed in the city of [[Kaduna (city)|Kaduna]] and many houses of worship were burned by religious zealots.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2508131.stm |title=Nigeria riots toll 'passes 200' |work=BBC News |date=24 November 2002 |access-date=24 May 2011}}</ref> Because of these riots, the 2002 pageant was moved to London, following widely circulated reports that Canada's and Korea's representatives had withdrawn from the contest and returned to their respective countries out of safety concerns. A [[fatwa]] urging the beheading of the woman who wrote the offending words, [[Isioma Daniel]], was issued in Nigeria, but was declared null and void by the relevant Saudi Arabian authorities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.isioma.net/sds03002.html |title=Miss World 2002 – The World at their Feet |publisher=Isioma.net |access-date=24 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Isioma Daniel |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/feb/17/gender.pressandpublishing |title=Nigerian journalist Isioma Daniel tells her story |work=The Guardian |location=UK |access-date=24 May 2011 |date=17 February 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2518977.stm |title=Nigeria's journalist on the run |work=BBC News  |date=27 November 2002 |access-date=24 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://nigeriaworld.com/columnist/brisibe/112602.html |title=Miss World and Islam: "Fatwa" and Isioma Daniel a Nigerian "Fatwa" |publisher=Nigeria World |date=26 November 2002 |access-date=24 May 2011}}</ref> Upon the pageant's return to Britain, many of the boycotting contestants chose to attend, including Miss Norway, Kathrine Sørland, who was ironically tipped in the last few days as the favourite for the crown she had previously boycotted.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.moderngent.com/articles/miss_world_2002.php |title=Contestants boycott Miss World |work=Modern Gent |access-date=24 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102230137/http://www.moderngent.com/articles/miss_world_2002.php |archive-date=2 January 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/10/27/wstone27.xml |title=– Don't boycott Nigeria's Miss World contest, begs mother facing stoning |publisher=Telegraph.co.uk |date=7 December 2013 |access-date=8 March 2014}}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/09/01/wmiss01.xml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030218082920/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/09/01/wmiss01.xml |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 February 2003 |title=– Contestants threaten Miss World boycott over stoning |publisher=Telegraph.co.uk |date=7 December 2013 |access-date=8 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2219661.stm |title=Nigeria faces Miss World boycott threat |work=BBC News  |date=27 August 2002 |access-date=24 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2240790.stm |title=Miss World Nigeria boycott spreads |work=BBC News |date=6 September 2002 |access-date=24 May 2011}}</ref>

The eventual winner of the pageant was [[Azra Akın]] of Turkey, the first predominantly Muslim country to hold the title since Egypt in 1954.<ref name="Pageantopolis - Miss World">{{cite web|url=http://www.pageantopolis.com/international/world.htm |title=Miss World |publisher=Pageantopolis |access-date=24 May 2011 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623084339/http://www.pageantopolis.com/international/world.htm |archive-date=23 June 2011 }}</ref>