KABUL, October 27 (IslamOnline.net) - Afghanis are irked that an Afghan woman will compete alongside 59 other women across the world for the Miss Earth title, lashing out at her media-published photo wearing a bikini and being wrapped with an Afghanistan banner.

Vida Samadzai, 25, who has lived in the United States since 1996, will take part in all sections of the contest, including the swimsuit section in Manila, the Philippines, for the first time in more than 30 years, according to media reports.

Afghan Minister of Women's Affairs Habiba Sorabi criticized Samadzai for taking part in the beauty contest.

"This is absolutely a sharp contrast to the traditions held by the Afghan people," Sorabi told IslamOnline.net.

Samadzai, or Miss Afghanistan as she will be known in the competition, has told the BBC Persian service that the Afghan embassy in Washington asked her to represent Afghanistan in the competition.

But the embassy categorically denied the statement as groundless.

Most Afghans have regarded Samadzai - who studies mass media at California University - more of an American than an Afghan woman, given that she no longer lives in the country and Afghan women do not dare to be posed in swimsuits.

"She is by no means a representative of all Afghani women, as she has the American passport, and does not live in the country,” said one Afghani in a talking point on the Internet.

Many others of the conservative Islamic country agree.

"No Afghan women accept to pose bikini-clad for the photographers," said an Afghani youth.

"This is against traditions of our society and teachings of our religion," added another.

Afghan women are used to wearing coverings, or burqas, from head to toe whenever they went out in public.

But Samadzai bragged her participation in the contest rather sent out a powerful message to her fellow countrywomen.

"I would like to make people aware that, as Afghan women, we are talented, intelligent and beautiful," she told Reuters news agency.

Other Afghanis cited conspiracy theories, saying this "cheap" participation came to support U.S. President George W. Bush in his re-election campaign.

"Putting Samadzai on the list of Miss World competitors could be nothing but a boost to U.S. President George W. Bush's chances in the coming presidential elections," said an Afghani woman, asking not to be named.

She said that Bush will try to shed light on the issue to indicate the success of the American plans for the overthrow of the Taliban regime and the liberalization of Afghan woman "from the prison of beliefs it had long imposed".

Other Afghanis, although admitting that Samadzai is not the best beautiful in Afghanistan, but she could win the competition for political reasons.

They said as this will serve the interests of Bush and his election campaign, she could be on the lead.