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Inspiration November 28, 2016
Halima Aden graced the Miss Minnesota stage as the first woman to wear her hijab and burkini during the beauty pageant.
Although she didn’t win the contest at the weekend, she has won a lot of praise for her bold and historic decision.
Aden, 19, chose to enter the competition to “change misconceptions about Islam,” according to the WCCO – CBS Minnesota video above. She stepped up to show women who feel different that they too are beautiful.
“Not seeing women that look like you in media in general and especially in beauty competitions sends the message that you’re not beautiful or you have to change the way you look to be considered beautiful,” Aden told Huffington Post. “And that’s not true.”
READ MORE: #MakeupIsGenderless: Confronting the Stigma Behind Male Beauty
Aden wore her hijab for the competition’s entirety and opted for her burkini during the swimsuit portion. Her decision is bold considering the fear Muslims have been voicing since Donald Trump won the election.
Yet instead of being hit with hate, the former refugee advanced to the semifinals and was showered with overwhelming support both from the audience at the event and later on social media. When Aden donned her burkini, the announcer told the cheering crowd she was “making history.”
While Minnesota – a traditionally conservative state – may seem like a strange place for this support, the state also appointed its first Muslim women to office this year. Ilhan Omar, a Muslim woman and fellow former refugee, was recently elected and now serves Minnesota as a legislator.
READ MORE: 6 Diverse Women in Washington Trump Patriarchy
In an Instagram post, Aden shared a photo of her and a friend with the caption “Amazing what a good role model can do for you.”
Halima Aden herself is certainly one of ENTITY’s role models and #WomenThatDo! Though she didn’t win the competition, she succeeded in shedding light on Muslim representation in the world, especially in the beauty and media industries.
