From Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, CEOAFRICA entertainment desk gathered that a Nigerian woman, Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola has won the 2013 World Muslim Beauty Pageant.

According to reports, Ajibola broke down in tears when she was announced the winner of the beauty pageant exclusively for Muslim women.

The 20 finalists, who were all required to wear headscarves, put on a glittering show for the final of Muslimah World, strolling up and down a catwalk in elaborately embroidered dresses and stilettos. The contestants from six countries were covered from head to foot, and as well as beauty they were judged on how well they recited Koranic verses and their views on Islam in the modern world.

After a show in front of an audience of mainly religious scholars and devout Muslims, a panel of judges picked Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola from Nigeria as the winner.

Upon hearing her name, the 21-year old broke down in tears and prayed by reciting a Koranic verse.

She said it was “thanks to almighty Allah” that she had won the contest. She received 25 million rupiah ($2,200) and trips to Mecca and India as prizes.

Speaking about the competition, Ajibola said before the final that the event “was not really about competition”.

“We’re just trying to show the world that Islam is beautiful.”

Organisers said the pageant challenged the idea of beauty put forward by the British-run Miss World pageant, and also showed that opposition to the event could be expressed non-violently.

Speaking about the competition, Eka Shanti, who founded the pageant three years ago after losing her job as a TV news anchor for refusing to remove her headscarf, said the contest is “Islam’s answer to Miss World”.

“This year we deliberately held our event just before the Miss World final to show that there are alternative role models for Muslim women. But it’s about more than Miss World. Muslim women are increasingly working in the entertainment industry in a sexually explicit way, and they become role models, which is a concern.”

The pageant also featured Muslim and pop music performances, including one about modesty, a trait the judges sought in the winner.