A photo Of Two Meanings

Among the Miss Universe contestants that are gaining a lot of attention these days, Miss Universe Indonesia Elvira Devinamira is probably the most visible. Her latest appearance was alongside the reigning Miss Universe Ma. Gabriela Isler and Miss USA Erin Brady at an Operation Smile gala in New York. Elvira, looking elegant and beautiful, was clearly a stunner. She just shined alongside with the stars. She was never eclipsed by anyone else.

A form of blasphemy

But with this newfound stardom came some mudslinging. A photo of Elvira, a practicing Muslim, surfaced online showing her in a garb of a nun holding a rosary. The photo came as shocking to some as this is somehow a form of blasphemy. Elvira is posing as if she is going to gobble up the rosary. Some even suggested that if the item is from other religions, a much different uproar might happen.



Many beauty queens were dethroned because of their provocative photos and even with those that were taken way before their reign. One example is Miss France 2008 Valérie Bègue who scandalized the French public for her photos in a bikini atop a floating cross. Luckily for Elvira, Indonesia is not a Christian majority nation.

Character assassination
For the supporters of Elvira however, this is a form of character assassination. Many rival countries see the rise of Indonesia as a threat to their own chances. Already, Elvira is making waves and the only way to stymie her ascent is to throw anything at her. This is akin to the character assassination that was directed to Miss World 2013 Megan Young. At the moment when it is clear that Megan had a good chance to win, her sexy photo surfaced and some detractors began asking if Miss World would really crown a woman who had posed topless in a photo shoot.

It looks though that Elvira will simply rise from the “storm”. Like Megan Young, Elvira will simply rise into prominence and could even win that coveted Miss Universe crown. With all the detractors surrounding her, there is only one explanation for all of these brouhaha – the Miss Universe crown is now simply within the grasp of Indonesia.