Hammasa Kohistani

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Hammasa Kohistani

Hammasa Kohistani was the first beauty contestant of Muslim origin to be crowned Miss England, at the age of 18, on 3 September 2005. She was crowned following a two-day competition at Liverpool's Olympia Theatre and was chosen from 40 contestants. She attended Lampton School in Hounslow and was said at one point to have been close friends with Aditya Odedra, which most people attribute to her success.

After her parents were forced to flee Afghanistan, she was born in Tashkent in central Uzbekistan. She speaks six languages including Russian and her mother-tongue Persian. Ethnically, she is a Tajik from Afghanistan.

She won the competition as a brunette, dressed in an ivory white chiffon and silk ball gown which had been designed and made by her mother. She later said "When they announced that I had won I thought I had misheard. I hoped they hadn't, but it took a second to sink in."

She also said that she was "happy to make history," that "I'm making history and I'm very happy. Hopefully I won't be the last" and that she was looking forward to representing England in the Miss World championships in China.

She was known as Miss Maya after the Asian fashion house which sponsored her, and has reportedly been offered a part in a forthcoming Bollywood movie.

Also in the Miss England competition was another Muslim, Sarah Mendly (aged 23), who was voted Miss Nottingham. Her entry had caused controversy, since contestants typically wear relatively little clothing, and was called upon to pull out of the contest by the Islamic Institute in Liverpool.

Hammasa represented England in the Miss World championships in December 2005, but failed to advance to the semifinal of Top 16.