First time in the history of humankind a beauty pageant contestant wore a traditional burkini. That is Halima Aden, 19, of St. Cloud, Minnesota. Aden wore her burkini on the swimsuit segment of the pageant. Though she was not crowned Miss Minnesota USA, Aden gained the respect of the whole world.
"For a long time I thought being different was a negative thing. But as I grew older, I started to realize we are all born to stand out, nobody is born to blend in," Aden told CBS News. "How boring would this world be if everyone was the same?"
The crowd went wild when Halima Aden stepped on the stage in a traditional burkini during the pageant's swimsuit part, the first time in the history. Instead of wearing a sexy bikini just like most of the contestants, Aden preferred to wear her burkini, a whole-body bathing suit which covers the limbs, head, and torso as well as worn by few Muslim women. The teenager advanced to the top 15 semifinal round but did not make it to the top five.
Aden was conceived in a Kenyan camp of refugees. Her family moved to St.Cloud Minnesota when she was six years of age. Fast forward, now Aden wanted to change the false impressions about Islam. So she joined this year Miss Minnesota USA. "I feel like I'm here to bust those misconceptions and stereotypes of Muslim women," the teenager said according to ABC News.
Before the pageant, the youth shared that few Somalis in her place got worried that contending in a beauty pageant would endanger her modesty. However, she assured them that she would never compromise her principles to contend. Without a second thought, organizers of the pageant-approved her preference to wear her burkini.
During the swimsuit competition, the audience were amazed and wowed when Aden confidently walked on the stage and modeled her burkini. Even Denise Wallace who is the executive co-director of the pageant praised the teenager for wearing the burkini in the pageant. Wallace said Aden made a history during the competition night.
