She's beauty and she's grace… and she's wearing a hijab!
Halima Aden may have not been crowned Miss Minnesota USA on Sunday night, but she still made history!
The 19-year-old Somali-American became the first Miss USA contestant to compete wearing a hijab, and even wore a burkini during the swimsuit portion of the competition!
After immigrating to St. Cloud, Minnesota at age 7, the Muslim teen hoped her platform would change minds about Islam in the midst of this heated sociopolitical climate.
The St. Cloud State University freshman — who dreams of becoming a U.N. ambassador — wasn't discouraged by the lack of Muslim representation in the pageant world.
Speaking to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, she said:
"You don't let being the first to do it stop you or get in the way. When I see that there hasn't already been somebody, I take that as a challenge for me to give it a try."
Aden's biggest statement for the Miss USA pageant, which is part of the Miss Universe organization formerly owned by Donald Trump, was to emphasize that wearing the hijab was a self-made choice rather than a sign of oppression.
She continued:
"The hijab is a symbol that we wear on our heads, but I want people to know that it is my choice. I'm doing it because I want to do it. I wanted people to see that you could still be really cute and modest at the same time."
Even though Aden was eliminated in the semifinal round, boy did she look stunning in her hijab!
No comments:
Post a Comment