The first magazine to offer Muslim girls in the United States a chance to tell their stories and remove widespread stereotypes has seen the light.

"The girls are eager to have their stories told," Ausma Khan, editor of Muslim Girl Magazine, told Reuters in an interview.

The first cover girl is Wardah Chaudhary, 16, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, where, Khan said, there is a relatively small but active Muslim community.

"Her perseverance and energy won her the honor," the editor said.

In her essay, Chaudhary talked about her Pakistan-born parents, her life growing up in Oklahoma and her activities.

"One thing I know for sure is that I am not behind in anything just because I wear hijab," she says. "To all the girls that are reading this, I want them to know to be proud of who you are."

The magazine is out with a 25,000-copy premier issue and expects its circulation to be four times that in two years.

The January/February issue also has articles on a Muslim female basketball team and a noted Muslim woman health researcher.

A survey of Muslim teen girls done for the magazine found out that they mainly go to public school, watch a bit too much television, read teen magazines and surf the Internet — a profile matching most American teens.