June 12, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 07, 1429

COPENHAGEN, June 11: An 18-year-old Iraqi-born student was named on Tuesday as winner of Denmark’s controversial Miss Headscarf competition, Danish public broadcasters DR announced.

Huda Falah was chosen from 46 candidates because of “her blue headscarf and her beautiful, irresistible style”, the two jury members said.

The first Islamic beauty pageant in Denmark was launched by DR’s youth website, drawing criticism from political figures who said it glorified the wearing of a garment considered oppressive by many women.

Falah denied that was the case, saying that women are free to wear the Islamic headscarf in Denmark -- as she had done since the age of nine.

“It’s a free country and the freedom of choice is there whether or not to wear a headscarf,” she said. “A woman is like a diamond, and you don’t just show off a diamond to everyone,” she added.

—AFP