6 days ago
‘Miss Wayne County' Ameera Hashwi is first woman wearing hijab to win award; Laura Loomer calls it ‘gross'
Ameera Hashwi, from Michigan, made history by becoming the first woman in a hijab to be awarded the 'Miss Wayne County' beauty pageant title in Dearborn Heights. Ameera Hashwi (center), after her win, now has a spot on the Miss Michigan pageant, and will have a shot at Miss America.(X/@OliLondonTV)
'Hello, my name is Ameera. My service initiative is Step Up and Serve, and I am your new… Miss Wayne County,' Hashwi shared in an Instagram post.
Step Up and Serve – Hashwi's chosen platform – focuses on encouraging physical fitness while empowering communities through service. Notably, Dearborn Heights is a Muslim-majority suburb in Detroit.
Who is Ameera Hashwi?
Hashwi works as an attorney at Seward Henderson PLLC from February 2025, as per her LinkedIn profile. Prior to this, she was a law clerk with NORMA Group, where she had two stints – a short one of three months in 2022, and another of 8 months in 2023. In between, she clerked for The Cochran Firm in Detroit.
The 25-year-old has also been a data entry specialist for Zoom Ride and a law clerk at Fairmax Law. She began as a legislative intern for Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Hashwi studied at Wayne State University, where she pursued a degree in economics. Then, she studied law at the Wayne State University Law School. Her student profile from Wayne State University notes 'In her free time, she enjoys reading and spending time with her friends and family.'
Ameera Hashwi's win sparks backlash online
Hashwi's win has sparked backlash online, with one X user commenting 'If all the places in the US that would be conquered by Islam, I NEVER thought it would be Michigan! Perhaps that was part of the plan?' Another remarked 'A hijab should be an automatic disqualification! There's no symbol that displays the mistreatment of women more than a hijab!'
Laura Loomer, conservative political activist commented 'Gross.'
However, not everyone was as unappreciative, with Lauren Mroczek, Miss Greater Kalamazoo 2025, praising Hashwi on Instagram, saying 'Ameera, you are a groundbreaker and change maker!! Even though I just met you this weekend, I know you have a heart full of love for Wayne County, and you will be such a bright light! Your smile and heart are contagious!'.
With Hashwi's win, she now has a spot on the Miss Michigan pageant, and will have a shot at Miss America. While Hashwi is the first woman in a hijab to win a beauty pageant, she follows in the footsteps of Halima Aden, who, almost a decade back, became the first contestant to wear a hijab throughout, when she participated in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant.
