DAR AL HARB - U.S.A. - MINNESOTA: A PROM FOR FEMALE MOSLEMAS, ONLY

Muslim girls, women have prom without cultural compromises
The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS- It was a prom for girls only, where more than 100 Muslim teenagers could take off their headscarves, let loose and dance, experiencing an American rite of passage without violating Islamic culture and values.

The Saturday night PROM—Party foR Only Muslimahs, or Muslim girls—at the University of Minnesota's Coffman Memorial Union provided a chance for the girls to participate in a major high school experience.

Many Muslim girls don't attend their high school prom because they aren't allowed to dance with the opposite sex, and prom dresses can be too revealing for some Muslim girls to wear in public.

"I'd hate to miss this," said Sabrina Wazwaz, 15, a freshman who goes to Twin Cities Academy in St. Paul. "I think it's really nice how they thought of the Muslim girls who can't go to the American prom, so they made this for us."

"I thought it was an awesome idea," said Sagirah Shahid, 18, one of the main organizers and president of the Muslim Youth of Minnesota. Shahid is a senior at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis.

"We want to encourage Muslimahs to have fun but not do anything they're not supposed to. It's a positive alternative to the real prom," she said.

The event included dinner, performances by the girls during a talent show, a fashion show of clothing from different cultures and dancing.

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