The ban of ‘Burkini’s’ made the headlines this time last year when France began arresting women for wearing full-body swimwear. Ostentatiously showing a religious affiliation, increasing trouble to public order and bad hygiene were some of the reasons France gave for the prohibition. Any female wearing swimwear that didn’t respect good customs and secularism was consequently arrested and/or barred from visiting the public beaches and swimming.
Recently a Muslim beauty queen from London brought this controversial topic to the public’s attention once again. Muna Jama, 27, from Forest Gate caused a stir at this year’s Miss Universe GB competition when she won the right to walk the run way in her Kaftan rather than a traditional bikini. 'I wouldn’t wear a bikini to a beach, so I’m not going to wear one in a competition to score points,' Jama has stated.
The Miss Universe Competition, once owned and run by Donald Trump, includes challenges from the national dress round to the swimsuit round, where contestants walk down a runway to a panel of judges who decide which one of them looks the best. Muna, Activist and Model, had applied for the competition once before but instead of challenging the pageant organisers when it came the swimwear round she simply pulled out of the competition. After successfully campaigning against child abuse in East Africa and smashing the first round of Miss Universe GB this year, Muna had the confidence to stand up and be recognised as proud Muslim woman without having to compromise her religious beliefs on the catwalk.
The final Miss Universe competition will consist of a three-day event where contestants walk down a runway to hundreds of beauty and fashion insiders. For many this will be a chance to showcase hours of training and aesthetic goals but Muna is using the platform for something new and unprecedented.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.