'Sudanese Next Top Model Fashion Show' Participants ARRESTED

About twenty models, make-up artists and designers were arrested after last Thursday's "Sudanese Next Top Model Fashion Show" in Khartoum, Reuters reports. The public event became contentious after both female and male models walked the runway.

An anonymous participant said, "There was nothing bad about the clothes. There were wedding dresses, traditional Sudanese clothes, suits, clothes from local shops and tobs (traditional Sudanese wraparound dresses)."

All those taken into custody were released on Friday but six of them were told to report back to the police on Sunday "to face unspecified charges."

Comments

[noladebby]

02:25 AM on 06/29/2010

That is absolutely ridiculous.

[PeanutFreeMom]

01:00 AM on 06/29/2010

Religion really does ruin everything.

[noladebby]

02:25 AM on 06/29/2010

No, silly people do.

[anothervoice]

07:46 AM on 06/29/2010

...wrapped in religion.

[yuhaniz]

10:59 PM on 06/28/2010

the level of islamophobia and bigotry in the comments is breathtaking to behold! first the facts: there has been an 11 p.m. curfew in sudan since 1990 and that includes weddings and graduations. anything lasting longer than 11pm needs a permit to be obtained before the event. they were arrested as they were leaving the event at 1 a.m. those who left at 11pm or before were not arrested. it had nothing to do with mixed sexes on stage although even in europe you don't see a mixed runway. the male designer is a sudanese american, the female a local.

[NonNativeIndian]

03:45 AM on 06/29/2010

Even arab newspapers are saying that they were arrested because it was a 'fashion show' ..... and all the comments there applaud it coz supposedly the holier than thou people dont want to be 'corrupted'

[yuhaniz]

10:58 PM on 06/28/2010

''There were traditional Sudanese clothes and tobs (traditional Sudanese wraparound dresses)''
it's 'towbs' and they are NOT wrap around dresses?! it is like an indian sari. a sari is 4.5 meters long. a toub is 9 meters long because it covers the back, head & arms, like the red one the woman in the picture is wearing. since you are quoting reuters it is they who have a translation problem.

some commented that these sudanese are fair skinned. yes, they are northern sudanese; arabs. (some are white, yellow, brown, or dark brown) southern sudanese; nubians & blacks are black & jet black. in sudan, whoopi goldberg is considered nubian, not jet black. the majority of african americans are degrees of brown, not black (i mean colorwise, not race wise). they have white or indian blood in their ancestry and would fit in with arabs here, colorwise. the difference would be hair; ours is naturally long. only blacks here wear hair weaves coz their hair is naturally short (worn in a short afro or thin corn rows) the arab models above have fair brown skin. (arabian gulf arabs are white or yellow. we have both black and arab blood in our ancestry hence our color)

as for oppression it exists politically and economically, but you meant socially, so i take it you've never been to a sudanese wedding? it's like a nightclub, only women have decent clothes on, there's no alcohol & it closes 11pm.

[duncansdad]

04:13 PM on 06/30/2010

In other words, it's nothing like a nightclub.

[KristaPeck]

05:22 PM on 06/28/2010

So sad that people live with such oppression. It sounds like they were working to be respectful of the current beliefs/restrictions. I look forward to hearing more of the story.

[Voting citizen]

04:59 PM on 06/28/2010

Funny anything that puts men and women in the same place ends up sexual. Are these people so consumed with sex there is no chance for anything less? perverts. Oh wait...its part of their religion....go figure.

[DaisyDooks]

04:14 PM on 06/28/2010

Those models don't look like REAL Nubians. Viva Sudan - Land of the BLUE BLACKS!!

[Andrew FingerlickingGree]

02:36 PM on 06/28/2010

LMAO, will someone enlighten these people please. Your religious traditions are 2000 years in the past, do ya'll still wipe your a*ses with leaves?

[SukiTheCat]

12:41 PM on 06/28/2010

This is just maddening...I feel sorry for the poor people of this country being oppressed by their fundamentalist gov't

[LMPE]

12:27 PM on 06/28/2010

The surprising thing is that Sudan allows a fashion show. Knowing what kind of society Sudan is, it seems like that would be the last country that permit anything even remotely sexual.

[Beaucheron]

12:58 AM on 06/29/2010

What exactly is 'sexual' about a fashion show? When I look at models on the catwalk - I see the artistry of the dresses... I don't even notice the model in them. But, hey - that's just me....

Shrug