Miss Uzbekistan mystery solved: Rakhima Ganieva is in the wrong beauty contest

The Miss Uzbekistan mystery is not so much a mystery but a shaking up of not just one world but several worlds. For Miss Uzbekistan ’s countrymen, her involvement in the Miss World 2013 competition is nothing the country really wants. “The Miss World beauty contest held this year in Indonesia has attracted vehement opposition by Islamic groups in the nation, who have in response set up a rivaling beauty pageant only for Muslims,” reports Al Arabiya on Sept. 14, 2013.
Some of the Miss Uzbekistan mystery articles are spelling Miss Uzbekistan's name "Rakhima" while most articles written in the eastern world are spelling her name without the "k" as "Rahima."

Blesk.cz reports on Sept. 15, 2013, that "the bigger surprise is just beautiful contestants Rahima Ganiev (18), which claims to be the representative of the Muslim Uzbekistan. The problem is that the beauty queen in this country do not vote [count]."
Much of the Miss Uzbekistan mystery appears to be due to the fact that Rahima Ganieva (or Rakhima), who is Muslim, is competing in the wrong contest. Being Muslim, she should be one of the 20 Muslimah World finalists who were chosen from more than 500 who took part in an online selection process.

“The process involved the competitors reciting the Quran and sharing anecdotes of how they can wear the headscarf, which is a requirement of the show. … The finalists will wear fashionable yet Islamic garments in what Shanti says is an opportunity to show young Muslim women that they do not need to show their hair and bare shoulders to be considered beautiful.”
The Muslimah World contest is Islam’s answer to Miss World 2013, according to its founder Eka Shanti, and is to be held on Wednesday in Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital.
“After unrelenting protests, Indonesian government officials said last week that the Miss World final would be shifted to Bali, which has a Hindu majority population who do not oppose the contest.”
“Some protestors have burnt effigies of the organizers and have called the contest ‘pornographic’.”
The Miss Uzbekistan mystery of Rahima Ganieva’s participation in the Miss World 2013 competition and not the Muslimah World contest is not only shaking up protests against a Muslim woman appearing in a bikini but also in the acceptance of a Muslim woman for the Miss World 2013 contest.
And it is shaking up the Miss World 2013 organizers who have not been able to comment yet on why Rahima Ganieva was accepted into a world beauty competition without her country’s apparent endorsement.
According to a July 2013 Beauty Pageant News report, Rahima Ganieva was crowned Miss Uzbekistan 2013.
“Rahima Ganieva was crowned Miss Uzbekistan 2013 at the conclusion of the pageant held in Tashkent on 20th of July 2013. The beauty from Tashkent will represent the country in the upcoming Miss World 2013 pageant, scheduled for September 28th, 2013 in Indonesia. This marks the first ever representative from Uzbekistan to a Miss World pageant. The country made an unsuccessful attempt at participation back in Miss World 2001…. Miss Uzbekistan was organized by Interalliance UZ and national director of Miss World in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. The contest included three levels: introduction in national costumes, catwalk in cocktail dresses and catwalk and interview in evening dresses. Special thanks to Animesh Barua, national director of Miss World in Uzbekistan!”
Similarly, Missosology also reported in July of 2013 that Rahima Ganieva won the Miss Uzbekistan contest without mentioning any kind of mystery.
“Miss Uzbekistan 2013 event organized by Interalliance UZ concluded last @0th of July in Tashkent and Rahima Ganieva won the coveted title. Rahima topped the said competition after taking her best shot during the three levels- national costumes, catwalk in cocktail dresses and interview in evening dresses. She is the first ever representative from the country at Miss World pageant which will be held in Indonesia this September, after the unsuccessful attempt of participating back in Miss World 2001.”
Without her country’s official endorsement and checking on her educational background, Rahima Ganieva was apparently accepted into the Miss World 2013 competition based on her beauty but very little actual knowledge about the contestant.
It makes the Miss Uzbekistan mystery less of a mystery -- just another insight into the Miss World 2013 beauty (not knowledge) contest.