Despite threats, organizers – supported by many Iraqi citizens – plan to move forward with the first Miss Iraq beauty pageant in more than 40 years.

"There are many indications that Iraq is finished, but such contests give hope that life in Iraq goes on," Senan Kamel, one of the judges for the competition, told Reuters.

"We deliberately organized the competition according to standards appropriate to Iraqi society to prove to the world that Iraq is a civilized country with a civic soul and a spirit of life."

Although efforts were taken to cater to more conservative sensibilities, not everyone is happy. Some conservative preachers and tribal leaders have strongly criticized the pageant, saying it is un-Islamic and threatens public morality, according to Reuters.

At least one television channel has openly criticized the pageant, saying it will "create a base culture while our people face the danger of terrorism."

Two of the competition's beauty queens have also received death threats and have chosen to withdraw from the pageant. In an added effort to appease conservatives, the competition has done away with the swimsuit competition and the televised finale has been postponed. Contestants are not allowed to compete wearing headscarves however, due to international pageant standards.

"If we don't stick to the standards, we will not receive approval to participate in international competitions, but for sure we are not at the stage of wearing bathing suits," Kamel said.

Iraq hasn't been represented in a major international beauty pageant since the Miss Universe competition in 1972. Small local pageants have been organized since then but the organizers of the current Miss Iraq pageant hope to send a contestant to compete internationally once again.

"We are searching for a personality to represent Iraq, a woman to be a real ambassador," Kamel said.

Speaking about the pageant's critics, one Iraqi soldier told Reuters, "These are people who do not want Iraq to do well, to improve. These people want to go backwards."

"We are glad to see more things like this. We Iraqis have been deprived of many things."