A girl with headscarf wins a beauty pageant in the United States thanks to the Muslim vote
In a Michigan suburb with a strong Arab presence, a girl wearing a hijab makes history as Miss Wayne County 2025. She will be able to compete for Miss Michigan and aspire to Miss America.
Ameera Hashwi
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According to the newspaper Daily Mail and other means, Ameera Hashwi has won the Miss Wayne County 2025 beauty pageant wearing a hijab.. The pageant was held in Michigan and is part of the Miss America beauty pageant system, which serves as a preliminary to state and national competitions.
The winner lives in Dearborn Heights, a municipality in Wayne County with a significant Arab and Muslim population.The title is awarded by the votes of a professional jury and the neighbours. Several residents of Dearborn Heights commented on l‘The pride it represents for the Muslim community that a woman wearing a hijab is crowned Miss.
Preliminary stage for state and national-level competitions
The Miss Wayne County title directly qualifies the winner to compete in Miss Michigan., A pageant that brings together the local winners from across the state and selects the representative for Miss America.. The latter is one of the most well-known and high-profile beauty pageants in the United States.
The precedents of candidates with headscarf Contestants of colour in beauty pageants in the United States are rare. The best-known case is that of Halima Aden, who in 2016 became the first contestant in Miss Minnesota USA to wear a hijab and a burkini; despite this, they did not win the title. Since then, there have been other occasional entries in local or state competitions.
Who is Ameera Hashwi?
Ameera Hashwi is 25 years old and studied at Wayne State University, where she earned a degree in Economics and History. During her university years, she held active roles as Social Media Manager of the Lebanese Students' Association, President of the History Club and Director of Community Affairs in the Student Senate.
In September 2021, Hashwi began her studies at the university's Faculty of Law and completed the programme in May 2024, at which point she officially took up the position of lawyer.
According to the information available on the official page of the competition, the jury particularly valued three aspects of Ameera Hashwi's participation. First, her performance in the talent round, where she sang the Arabic song “Koul Chi Aam Yekhlass” by Majida El Roumi, stood out for her strong vocals and the unusual choice for this type of contest. Secondly, the social project “Step Up & Serve” was well-received for its focus on community service and the promotion of physical fitness. Finally, the judges noted her poise in the private interview and her on-stage presence, elements which form part of the official Miss America scoring system.
The competition also includes an award called the People's Choice Award., chosen by the audience present through votes linked to financial contributions (One dollar equals one vote). All funds raised are entirely dedicated to the competition's scholarship programme.
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