21-Year-Old Nigerian Woman, Ajibola Obabiyi Wins Muslim's Miss World Beauty Pageant (Pictures)

The World Muslimah Foundation, a Muslim women’s group, held a beauty contest called  Muslimah World exclusively for Muslim women in the Indonesian capital on Wednesday, in response to the Miss World competition currently taking place in Bali. And a Nigerian woman has emerged the winner.
 

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.

Upon hearing her name, the 21-year-old knelt down and prayed, then wept as she recited a Koranic verse.

She said it was "thanks to almighty Allah" that she had won the contest. She received 25 million rupiah ($2,200) that's about N350,000 and trips to Mecca and India as prizes.

Ajibola told AFP before the final that the event "was not really about competition".

"We're just trying to show the world that Islam is beautiful," she said.
 AFP