Somali-American teen dons burkini for Miss Minnesota USA pageant
MINNEAPOLIS — It seemed only fitting that Halima Aden was the first contestant to introduce herself to the audience. Many of the cameras were there for her, after all.
The 19-year-old Somali-American sauntered on stage during the Miss Minnesota USA pageant last weekend in a “burkini,” a bathing suit covering her from neck to wrist to ankle. She was the first fully covered Muslim to compete in the state pag- eant, where she made it to the semifinal round of 15, but didn’t advance to the final five.
“Halima is bilingual. She speaks fluent English and Somali, and history is her favorite subject,” Denise Wallace, pageant executive co-director, announced to huge applause as Aden strutted for the judges. “She’s making history tonight.”
Aden’s swimsuit stood in sharp contrast with the other 44 women, most of whom donned revealing bikinis during the pageant’s signature swimwear segment.
Aden, who wore a headscarf with the suit, said she entered the competition to break barriers for Muslim women and counter the prevalent notion that they are oppressed. She hoped to be a role model for girls who felt that wearing the hijab might hold them back.
“I just want to go on as myself,” said Aden, a freshman at St. Cloud State University. “When you have a lot of women in our state that do wear the hijab, we should be able to see that everywhere.”