The Muslim Miss World: Nigerian contestant crowned in beauty pageant held to oppose mainstream Miss World contest in Bali

[Bilal Mahmud المكافح المخلص]

By Martha De Lacey

A Nigerian woman has been crowned Muslim Miss World in the final of a beauty pageant organised by a women's group in direct response to the mainstream Miss World competition taking place in Indonesia.

Miss Nigeria, Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola, 21, won the Miss Muslimah World contest which was organised by the World Muslimah Foundation, a Muslim women's group, and held in Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta as a protest to the traditional contest being held in Bali this month.

The annual Muslim event - now in its third year - is held exclusively for Muslim women, who are assessed not only their appearance (in Islamic dress) but also their piety, religious knowledge and understanding of the Koran.

Scroll down for videos

The newly crowned the Muslimah World 2013 Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola of Nigeria is congratulated by contestants during the Muslimah World competition in Jakarta yesterday

The newly crowned the Muslimah World 2013 Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola of Nigeria collects her crown, trophy and flowers and thanks the crowds in Indonesia

Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola of Nigeria reacts emotionally as she hears the announcement of her victory in the Muslim Miss World

More than 500 Muslim women entered the contest online, with 20 finalists chosen by judges. Entrants were asked to talk people through their path to the religion and what wearing a headscarf meant to them.

When Miss Nigeria was announced the winner - and won a trip to Mecca - she recited a verse from the Koran. 

More...

• The Muslim Miss World: Nigerian contestant crowned in beauty pagean...
• In celebration of Britain: Stunning photographs of iconic 20th cent...
• Hello Kitty launch banana-flavoured beer to get Asian women drinkin...

Meanwhile in Bali, the mainstream pageant was subject to protests by hard-line Muslims within the world's most populous Muslim country, even though organisers relented and agreed to cancel the bikini round.

Moreover, its final - held on 28 September - was due to take place in Jakarta, but it has now been agreed that the whole pageant will take place in Bali, a Hindu-majority island, where armed police are on high alert following warnings that the contest could be a target for terror attacks.

The finale of a beauty pageant exclusively for Muslim women took place in Jakarta

Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola of Nigeria reacts for her title of the Muslimah World as First Runner Up Noor Aspasia of Indonesia looks on

Contestants of the Muslimah World pageant take part in a rehearsal for the grand final of the contest in Jakarta on 18 September

Nigerian Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola salutes in front of the contestants during the final of the 3rd Miss World Muslimah 2013 contest in Jakarta, Indonesia

The contestants line up during the final of the 3rd Miss World Muslimah 2013 contest

The audience claps during the final of the 3rd Miss World Muslimah 2013 contest

Miss Nigeria wins a trip to Mecca as part of her prize

The ten final contestants of the Muslimah World 2013 answer questions from a judge panel during the Muslimah World

Five of the Muslim women taking part in the competition in Jakarta that judged women on her Islam dress and her knowledge of the Koran

Indonesian Muslims in the audience share photos of the competition

Muslim women in the audience of the pageant

[Bilal Mahmud المكافح المخلص]