(NY Times) Last year, on a Thursday in June, long before live events and large gatherings bore the threat of contagion, the ballroom of the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, Mich., was in full pageant form.
Pink mini cupcakes filled the dessert table. A disco ball hung from the ceiling, spinning subtly as the D.J. set the mood with music. Seats for guests were draped in shiny gold fabric.
Wine, however, was swapped for Welch’s sparkling red grape juice. The talent portion of the evening was made up entirely of readings from the Quran. A magician performed what he jokingly called “halal magic.” The musical act performed Muslim hip-hop.
For a century, the beauty pageant has embedded itself in the cultural identity of America. Miss Muslimah USA offers a fresh take on the well-worn event format, one that lies at the intersection of American cultural identity and religious freedom at a time when both seem to be in flux.
