Hijab-wearing MasterChef contestant spicing up Australia’s culinary world
Samira El Khafir’s love of cooking, commitment to community have made her role model for young Muslim women
MELBOURNE, Australia (MNTV) – Samira El Khafir, a contestant on MasterChef Australia: Back To Win, is using her platform to set an example for young Muslim women.
The former hairdresser and telecommunications worker, who placed third in Season 5 back in 2013, has returned to the cooking show franchise with a sense of greater purpose, reports Missing Perspectives.
“It was a really hard decision” to make, Samira tells Missing Perspectives. “It has been a very long time since I’ve competed… To put myself out there, I knew there’s a lot of pros, but then there’s a lot of cons that I’m going to be facing as well.”
However, the support of her family, particularly her daughters, made her realize that she could use this opportunity to be a role model. “My daughters are teenagers at the moment – and one of them does wear a hijab like I do,” she says.
“And I thought, with everything that’s happening on social media – they see so much – why don’t I use this opportunity to show the younger generation that you can be comfortable in your own skin, the way you dress, the way you look, and make it and be on national TV.”
Samira’s goal is to show young Muslim women that they don’t need to change who they are to succeed. “You don’t need to change just because society wants you to be a certain way,” she says. “You can be you, and you can succeed as well.”
This season, Samira is focusing on showing the viewers the importance of sustainable and cost-effective cooking. “I want to make foods that the Australian public can make – being cost effective and sustainable,” she explains.
After the season wraps up, Samira hopes to pursue food travel and showcase beautiful spots to eat throughout the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Australia. “I always had a love for travel and culture and history, and I really want to push myself in food travel,” she says.
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