Every once in awhile you see a headline that just grabs your attention for some reason, perhaps its the irony of it that strikes you. Perhaps it strikes you as odd or humorous. The one that struck me this morning, dear reader, as I sipped my coffee was this: Miss World Drama Driven by host country Indonesia.

Let me just unpack my thinking process for you on this one.  First of all, whose brilliant idea was it to hold a beauty contest in the country with the highest Muslim population on earth?  I mean really, does it seem like a great idea to have a bevy of international beauties slink onstage in their bikinis in a country where the dominant religion is known the world over for its anti-feminist traditions?  Even more astounding is this-who thought that “negotiating” with Islamic hardliners about the inclusion of a parade of the women in form fitting (but traditionally Indonesian) sarongs instead was smart? Why did they think that these folks would do anything other than sense the weakness of the pageant organizers and continue to demand further deference to their religion?

They have a word in Arabic for people like the Miss World organizers, they call them “dhimmis”, or those who exist in a state of dhimmitude. This concept was given a name in 1983 when a writer named Bat Y’eor coined the phrase to explain the status of Christians, Jews or other non-Muslims under Islamic shari’ah law. “Dhimmi” means “protected” in Arabic, which is ironic since these people are anything but protected under shari’ah law. Unless you believe that the people in the garbage business in places like New York city and New Jersey are under the mafia’s “protection” when they are forced to pay “protection” money-like dhimmi’s are required to do in Islamic nations in the form of a tax or jizya.

Dhimmi’s have one quality in common-they think that it is ok to give Islamic hardliners a concession here and a concession there. The pageant organizers for Miss World are finding out that is NOT the case. You see originally they had planned to have the pageant in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital. When the Islamic Defenders Front threatened to riot in the capital and possibly hijack the show, the organizers took their show to Bali. You might be familiar with Bali as the location of a suicide bombing that took place in a Bali nightclub in 2002. Of course, in all fairness it is the location of several resorts and a beautiful place unto itself.

Maybe the Miss World organizers should have shown some courage and simply cancelled the show like Lady Gaga’s management did when Islamic hardliners threatened her last Spring. In the interest of protecting not only their star, but her fans in Indonesia, her management wisely decided that Indonesia wasn’t worthy of a visit from the Mommy Monster until they could improve their security situation.

Perhaps the organizers of Miss World should take a meeting with the organizers of last weeks World Muslima pageant. The Islamic hardliners had no issues with the ladies in this pageant who took to the stage in shapeless frocks, high heels and bejeweled hijabs (headscarves). Perhaps Miss World organizers can ask them how to deal with the Islamic hardliners threats to hijack their show…or not.