Halima Aden just made history.
On Monday, the 21-year-old Muslim woman became the first model to wear a hijab and burkini in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s 2019 edition. The model joined this year’s rookie class.
READ MORE: Miss Minnesota USA contestant makes history wearing burkini, hijab
Aden also posted a message to her followers on Instagram, following the news of making history.
“Don’t change yourself… Change the game,” she wrote on the social media site.
READ MORE: Muslim woman smiles, poses in front of anti-Islam protesters: ‘I smiled in the face of bigotry’
“Ladies anything is possible… being in Sports Illustrated is so much bigger than me. It’s sending a message to my community and the world that women of all different backgrounds, looks, upbringings can stand together and be celebrated.”
According to SI, the Somali-American model made headlines when she became the first woman to wear a hijab at the Miss Minnesota USA pageant in 2016. Aden reached the semifinal swimsuit portion of the night.
“I just wanted to go on as myself,” Aden told the Star Tribune that year. “When you have a lot of women in our state that do wear the hijab, we should be able to see that everywhere.”
Social media reacts
On social media, many fans were supportive of SI’s decision.
“I’m so proud of you and to every Muslim girl out there that never felt represented you can do it,” one social media user wrote.
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Others, however, posted anti-Muslim comments regarding the magazine’s decision, but fans quickly jumped in to help shut the haters down.
“We believe beauty knows no boundaries,” Sports Illustrated Swimsuit editor MJ Day told NBC.
“I admire Halima, and I consider her an inspirational human for what she has decided to use her platform for.”
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