How Miss World Australia Esma Voloder is Fighting Crime and Islamophobia
Earlier this month, 25-year-old Esma Voloder was crowned Miss World Australia. Nine times out of ten, the Ummahsonic team would not inform you guys about the happenings at Miss World Australia. Nope. Not gonna happen. But thanks to Esma’s incredible life story, we are making an exception.
Esma’s family moved to Australia from Bosnia when she was five months old. They had been living in a refugee camp after fleeing the conflict that took place in the country in the early nineties.
Like so many of the people displaced by the Bosnian conflict, Esma’s family are Muslim. After escaping the war, they eventually settled in Melbourne, where Esma pursued modelling as a teenager.
In 2008, she was crowned Miss Teen Australia. However, she always prioritised education, and she eventually earned a degree in psychology. She now works as a criminal profiler in Melbourne, which means she identifies likely suspects in ongoing investigations. That’s right, when Esma is not winning pageants she’s helping to lock up criminals.
After winning Miss World Australia, there were a number of online trolls who condemned their decision to award the crown to a Muslim.
Esma reacted to the bigotry with grace and humility. Responding to the critics, Esma said: ‘I forgive them…I feel it comes from a lack of understanding,’ before adding, ‘I am hoping to break down the barriers by just being me.’
She also said that she believes people ‘fall into a trap of believing what they are told.’ As such, she wants to put an end to the misconceptions surrounding Islam. After winning the Miss World Australia Crown, Esma spoke about her relationship with her faith:
‘The Islam that I know, that is in the Qu’ran, I don’t associate that with any acts that are occurring around the world…I believe Islam is about peace, unity, prosperity and inclusion.’
We’re glad to see Esma rising above the critics and serving as a true ambassador for Australia. Her incredible upbringing, as well as her commitment to understanding and her outrageously cool-sounding job, make us feel like we can run through walls. Serious.
Featured image credit: Miss World Australia via Facebook.
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