20 year-old model Ahlam El Brinis of Moroccan descent has her eyes set on making history as the first Muslim Miss Italy.
As far as her ambitions are concerned, the going has not been good for Ahlam El Brinis, since the model has received flak and insults, abuses on social media. Cynics and critics have accused the model of trying to insult Islam, by taking part in the beauty contest. Ahlam El Brinis has been criticized for wearing revealing clothes and not sporting a veil.
However, undaunted by criticism and the abuses doled out to her on social media, Ahlam continues to march on into the competition and has entered the semi-final of the Miss Italy competition, which will be judged in Jesolo (Venice) on September 20. Ahlam spoke to a leading English website and stated that everyone was free to choose their religion and how they wanted to practice it.
Ahlam labelled her critics as “ridiculous people with too much time on their hands” and stated that her grandmother had taught her that “religion is in the heart, not in the choice of clothes you wear”.
“Everyone is free to choose and live their religion in their own way. I am aware that there are people still conservative who might think it’s wrong what I do. But honestly I do not care, because I have the support of my family and that’s enough”.
Ahlam El Brinis regards herself as a non-practicing Muslim but said that she has a lot of respect for Islam. She was also selected to be ‘Miss Elegance’ for the northeast region of Friuli Venezia Giulia in the Miss Italy semifinal contest.
