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World / Americas

Muslim woman wears hijab, burkini in Minnesota pageant

Published: 28 Nov 2016 - 02:30 pm | Last Updated: 16 Nov 2021 - 11:45 pm
Halima Aden (L), 19, from St. Cloud, is the first fully-covered Muslim contestant participating in the Miss Minnesota USA competition in Burnsville, Minnesota, U.S., November 26, 2016. REUTERS

Halima Aden (L), 19, from St. Cloud, is the first fully-covered Muslim contestant participating in the Miss Minnesota USA competition in Burnsville, Minnesota, U.S., November 26, 2016. REUTERS

AP

BURNSVILLE, Minn.: A Muslim woman has become the first to compete in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant while fully clothed.

Halima Aden made the semifinals of the competition over the weekend while wearing a hijab. She also wore a full-body outfit called a burkini during the swimsuit competition.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports Aden's swim outfit stood in contrast to those of the other 44 contestants, most of whom wore bikinis.

Before the competition, the 19-year-old Somali-American woman told Minnesota Public Radio News that the pageant was "a great platform to show the world who I am."