As reported by Malaysian each day The Star, the 20-year-old of Malaysian and Indonesian descent, who wears a ‘tudung’ or hijab, broke records by being among the many top twenty finalists within the Miss Universe New Zealand 2018 pageant.
On Instagram, Nurul Shamsul said that as a girl wearing a hijab, she can be the primary in New Zealand to make it to the finals and one among the primary on this planet to attain such a feat.
“I hope this chance will help break down boundaries and stereotypes. I also hope that together we’ll find a way to redefine the meaning of beauty,” she said.
In one other post, Nurul stated that being a Muslim stays on the core of her beliefs, regardless that she is competing in a beauty pageant.
“I prayed that if this chance was good for me and my religion, I wanted God to permit it. If it wasn’t, I wanted him to show me away from her,” she said.
In response to a comment on Instagram, Nurul said that her mother is Indonesian and her father is Malaysian.
She also said that she is currently studying on the University of Waikato, majoring in psychology with a minor in social policy.
“I would like to help communities thrive and liberate and empower individuals in the future,” she said.
Nurul just isn’t the primary Muslim to wear a hijab throughout the Miss Universe pageant.
Previously, Somali-British Muna Jama and Somali-American Halima Aden did so by competing in Miss Universe Great Britain and Miss Minnesota USA respectively.
The final of the Miss Universe New Zealand 2018 pageant will happen on August 4.
The star has tried to contact Nurul, but up to now to no avail.
