Muslim woman counters Islamophobia with peace signs and selfies

The anti-Islam protesters held signs that said things like "No headscarves," "No mosques," and "Stop Islam"

A young Muslim woman took to the streets of Belgium taking cheerful selfies with anti-Islam protesters at an event celebrating Islam.

This weekend Antwerp held the third annual Muslim Expo; a festival celebrating Muslim culture in Belgium. The expo comprised a lifestyle fair for Muslims, with stalls, panel discussions and performances.



PHOTO: THE VICE

As expected, not everyone in Belgium was pleased with this celebration of Islam. Nearly 40 members of a far-right Belgian political party, Vlaams Belang, showed up to protest the event holding signs that made statements like "No headscarves," "No mosques," and "Stop Islam."

PHOTO: Vice

Their leader, Filip Dewinter, called it: ‘An apartheid Islamic exchange where segregation is preached instead of integration."



"They want only one thing – to expand the pillars of Islam. If you want to know how young people are radicalised, I advise you to visit this exhibition," he added.

PHOTO: Vice

However, young Muslim woman, Zakia Belkhiri decided to tackle the protest by taking some cheerful, bold selfies in front of the protesters.  Belkhiri was captured doing so by photographer Jurgen Augusteyns. His photos of Belkhiri's selfies went viral after being published by Vice.

Muslims in the west, since the March attacks conducted by the Islamic Group, have become victim to several instances of Islamophobia.

Many took to Twitter in support of the young Muslim woman.

https://twitter.com/RoxburyBama/status/732689790768939008
https://twitter.com/sunny_hundal/status/732707402332639236

Muslim girl goes to an anti-Islam rally in Belgium and takes these selfies #OGstatus https://t.co/SB1pjaIxEl pic.twitter.com/KfYEtgIlop

— Nabeela Zahir (@NabeelaZahir) May 18, 2016

https://twitter.com/hayatalnaimi/status/732827229936308225

Fighting ignorance and Islamophobia with peace-signs and selfies in Antwerp, Belgium 🇧🇪#Belgique #Islamophobia pic.twitter.com/EZEeqijQmf

— Genius Technology (@Geniustechw) May 17, 2016

 This article originally appeared on Vox