Muslim supermodel Halima Aden quits ramp over religious views

Muslim supermodel Halima Aden quits ramp over religious views

She's received support online from model sisters Bella and Gigi Hadid and also from Rihanna.

In a series of historic Instagram confessions, Somali American supermodel Halima Aden opened up about her hijab journey and quit “bowed out gracefully” from runaway modeling because it forced her to compromise her religious beliefs as a Muslim woman.

The 23-year-old has appeared on the cover of British Vogue, Vogue Arabia and Allure.

Talking about accepting modelling jobs that went against her religious views, she said: "I can only blame myself for caring more about opportunity than what was actually at stake."

She added that problems came from there being a "lack of Muslim women stylists" within the industry who could understand why wearing a hijab was so important.

She's received support online from model sisters Bella and Gigi Hadid and also from Rihanna.

Muslim supermodel Halima Aden quits ramp over religious views
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Speaking highly of her mother, Rukia Ahmed Aden, for advising “deen over dunya” always, Halima shared that she had asked her to quit modeling a long time ago but she was defensive. Yet, her faith was the strongest around her family and her “hijab was on point when I was surrounded by my Somali culture”, which was the last time she was genuinely happy.

Realising that she had gotten carried away, Halima shared pictures of denim hijab and of covering her head with a jeans or layers that were not headscarf. “As if we needed these brands to represent Hijabis. THEY need US. Never the other way around (sic),” Halima wrote while adding that this desperateness for representation back then and her naïve and rebellious self had made her lose touch with who she were.

“I’m not rushing back to FASHION” she wrote as she made note to never skip praying on Islamic time. “Fashion can wait. My DEEN can not,” she wrote. “Cancel me? Who gone cancel me? I’m bowing out gracefully (sic)” Halima added in another Instagram story.

Muslim supermodel Halima Aden quits ramp over religious views
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Halima was born in a Kenyan refugee camp to Somali parents before moving to America aged six.

She was spotted by international modelling agency IMG Models at 18 while appearing in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant as a semi-finalist.

She was the first woman to wear a hijab in the pageant and soon became known for bringing a modest dress code to the world's most famous fashion week shows.

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