Tharima Ahmed was determined to attend her school's prom, but with strict religious beliefs that prohibited her and other fellow classmates from dancing and appearing in front of men without a headscarf, the prospect of attending the event seemed out of reach.
But that was when the 17-year-old Muslim student had a novel idea: she would organize an all-girls prom that would eliminate the obstacle altogether, The New York Times first reported
And Ahmed was not alone: Roughly 65 percent of females at a student at Hamtramck High School near Detroit, Mich., couldn't attend a traditional prom because of their beliefs, according to the report. In the end, nearly 100 women attended the April 28 dance.
As the "no boys allowed" prom began making headlines, some took to the Internet to voice their opinions.
Jezebel's Erin Gloria Ryan praised the idea and said the prom seemed to "kick some ass."
"Who doesn't like getting dressed up and dancing around with your girl friends?" she wrote.
But not everyone supported the coverage of the alternative dance.
On her website, author Pamela Geller says the attention is a "giant leap backwards ... imposing Islam on the public square."
Geller, who uses the article to promote her book, also highlights an email that questions: "Would any other ethnic group have received this glowing review from the NYT of a prom based on ethnic and religious restraints?"
While Ahmed and her friends organized the school's first all-girls dance on their own, teens in Southern California have been attending "Mormon Prom" for years.
The alternative dance caters to youth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This year's prom, which was held on March 17, marked the seventh time the event was held.