Ha! Andrew, this post may have an affect on who would reply to your Kabobs for 2 profile ;)

Snuffleupagus and Hosni Mubarak.

Yes, whether Rima Fakih was wearing the bikini top or not, it would still be offensive to many people, as I stated.

My point with the bikini top was in reference and in reply to Dallool's comment. Since Rima Fakih is participating in this pageant and, more importantly, since she did have a choice to wear an article of clothing on top, she could have decided to wear it if she wanted to be accommodating (a word used in and in reference to Dallool's comment) or not "to disappoint" or out of "respect" (Rima's words) for Arabs and Muslims.

I'm done.

First, even she had shown her chest, her breasts would obviously have been covered (with her hands, body paint, etc.). The point is that it's her bare body she's displaying. While you may not find that offensive, many others do.

Second, if her intentions were truly to be accommodating, why not wear a bikini top like many of the other contestants? No, she had a choice and instead chose to go topless.

Finally, I did comment that beauty pageants are nothing more than "glorified objectification" of women. Her winning Miss USA and competing in the Miss Universe pageant is nothing to applaud or be proud of. Also, please don't put quotes around comments I did not make.

PB, I'm not judging her or her connection to the Arab community. But what exactly is she doing that's positive for our community? That she won a beauty contest and Americans now think, 'wow, I guess there are hot Arab chicks out there.' We shouldn't think that her being in the public eye while not being looked upon negatively by the American public is the standard for what's positive for our community.

Like I said, she can do whatever she wants to do. I don't care. But her statement about how she decided to pose this way because she didn't want to disrespect or disappoint Arabs and Muslims is misleading. Because, as you put it, those who subscribe to my 'idea of Islamic conservatism', and there are many, would find it offensive on varying levels; from her competing in a beauty pageant to begin with to posing topless. So she obviously has no clue. And, by the way, I don't think that it's just Muslims who would find this offensive.

I hope you, and others who share your thoughts, can at least understand and respect what I'm saying.

I think to be happy just because we have an Arab in the public eye who 'isn't being cast as a terrorist', in my opinion, is quite sad and pretty low in standards. And yes, she is just a beauty queen, which is why I don't take her seriously. But because she's in the public eye, her remarks are taken seriously, or at least heard, by many who will assume she represents and speaks on behalf of Muslim and Arab Americans and that's what I have a problem with.

I loved this! Good one Hanitizer!

PC, I have no idea how you came to this conclusion. What I said was that regardless of the condemnations by Arab and Muslim organizations, there will be (ignorant and hateful) people in the public who will take advantage of this incident and attack the Arab and Muslim communities. Nowhere do I state or imply that Hasan's victims are ignorant and hateful.

I reiterate that by instantly putting out statements of condemnation, these organizations link the incident with the communities they represent. And what did this incident have to us? Nothing. The backlash will inevitably come regardless. No amount of condemnation is going to change that. What these organizations should be condemning is any backlash that is perpetrated against their communities.

Great post Sana.