A Nigerian, Obabiyi Aisha Ajibola, tearfully
prayed and recited Koranic verses as she
won a world beauty pageant exclusively
for Muslim women in the Indonesian
capital Wednesday, a riposte to the Miss
World contest that has sparked hardline
anger.
The 20 finalists, who were all required to
wear headscarves, put on a glittering
show for the final of Muslimah World,
strolling up and down a catwalk in
elaborately embroidered dresses and
stilettos.
But the contestants from six countries
were covered from head to foot, and as
well as beauty they were judged on how
well they recited Koranic verses and their
views on Islam in the modern world.
After a show in front of an audience of
mainly religious scholars and devout
Muslims, a panel of judges picked Obabiyi
Aishah Ajibola from Nigeria as the winner.
Eka Shanti, who founded the pageant
three years ago after losing her job as a
TV news anchor for refusing to remove
her headscarf, bills the contest as “Islam’s
answer to Miss World”.
“This year we deliberately held our event
just before the Miss World final to show
that there are alternative role models for
Muslim women,” she told AFP.
Aisha received 25 million rupiah ($2,200)
and trips to Mecca and India as prizes.
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