W

hile bedazzling much of the country after winning the Miss Indonesia crown, Aceh native Qory Sandrioriva's feat is also raising hackles in her notoriously conservative home province.

"I'm very proud of Qory's success," said Banda Aceh housewife Heny.

"Aceh has sent representatives to compete in the pageant several times, but this is the first time Aceh has achieved the highest title."

Heny said the protests were inappropriate and only "diminish from the fighting spirit of Acehnese women to perform at the national as well as international level".

Qory's victory was marred by a minor controversy over her decision not to wear a headscarf, obligatory for all Muslim women in Aceh.

"The headscarf incident was nothing; the judges don't choose someone just based on physical appearance, but also on their capabilities," Heny said.

She added headscarves did not define Aceh women, pointing out many famous from the province chose not to wear them.

"Aceh has long been renowned as a predominantly Islamic province, including in its culture and community," Heny said.

She added she believed Qory had won the Miss Indonesia crown through a combination of her beauty and deeper insights over the other contestants.

However, just as Qory's victory inspired pride in some, it also incited the usual knee-jerk outcry from others within Aceh communities over how she had done something as "shameful" as take part in a beauty pageant in Aceh's name.

Also fodder for her critics was her statement that she had gained approval from clerics in Aceh to take part, and in particular to take off her headscarf for the contest.

The main outcry has come from the Aceh Ulema Dayah Association (HUDA), which said Qory's achievement did not properly reflect that of a woman from a province that implemented Islamic sharia.

"Qory doesn't represent a woman from Aceh, so her shameful achievement is not worthy of praise," said HUDA secretary-general Faisal Aly.

"She has no right to win on behalf of the people of Aceh."

He added Qory certainly did not represent Aceh, due to the absence of any beauty pageants in the province.

Faisal also said Qory was within her rights to participate in the pageant, but should not have run as the representative of Aceh because of the province's strict adherence to Islamic culture.

Other protests came from the Indonesian Muslim Students Action Front (KAMMI), which demanded the Miss Indonesia Foundation strip Qory of her crown because, it claimed, she had lied on stage.