Lagos — Nudity is increasingly becoming a permanent fixture at beauty pageants. Opinion of men and women are divergent on this issue. While some favour it, some frown at it without reservations. Here is a sample of opinions expressed on the matter: Goodluck Ebelo, Deputy Editor, TEMPO Magazine, Lagos: "A woman could go as far as she wants to, it's actually a matter of choice. If a woman decides to take part in a beauty pageant and the rules say that she must wear certain kind of dresses and she doesn't think that the rules are abnormal, it's good for her.

I really don't think anybody should legislate what someone should wear, but a minimum decency I owe my society is not to go naked and that's all." In the opinion of Mrs. Chinyere Chimezie, wife of music star, Bright Chimezie, "it's a very bad idea that our women now expose their bodies, it's not good at all. As women, we must cover our bodies, even men are not supposed to bare their bodies.

That pageants cannot be complete without women going half-naked shows the depth to which human beings have lost their self-worth. Our thinking has shifted to negative places.

"There are other ways of showing our beauty other than going naked. Our rich culture is there to show us ways of flaunting our beauty decently.

Ustadh Abdur Rafiu Jempeji of The Muslim Congress also offered his view on the issue. He contended that "Islam frowns at ladies exposing their bodies in public, not to talk of exposing it for monetary reward.

"In Islam, the only parts of women that should be exposed in public are the wrists, face and the ankle downward.

"Islam is totally against women exposing their bodies in what is termed beauty contests. It is against the injunction. Surat an-Nur, Chapter 24 verses 25-32 speaks so much on the proper way of dressing for women. Simply put, exposing bodies in public is prohibited." Eddy Montana, a famous rap artiste says "it depends on the way one is looking at it. If you must talk about beauty which means you must see every part of the woman to determine the extent of her beauty, it means she must show every part of her, which does not necessarily mean she must show her private parts.

"The competition allows for contestants to show every part of the body and since beauty actually is from the inside, the skin must be seen as well as the complexion.

"I think it's okay to expose every part. It's not a big deal to me because the beach is an open place. If you can wear a beach wear at the beach when people are there, I don't really see what difference it makes when you do same in a beauty contest. Afterall, in other segments of the competition contestants put on attires to showcase their culture and it's the totality of the inner body and the outer body that determines the level of beauty."