Muslim woman epically poses in anti-Islam protest to send a message

A Muslim woman has won over the internet after responding to anti-Muslim bigotry with a vibrant smile and an expressive peace sign.

When Shaymaa Ismaa'eel, a 24-year-old behavioral therapist and fashion and beauty blogger, encountered protesters holding signs against Islam in the United States, she did not ignore the demonstrations nor let them get on her nerves.

Instead, she oh-so-casually posed for photos in front of the protesters, and the results were truly epic. 

Ismaa'eel was attending the Islamic Circle of North America convention, a gathering dedicated to promoting Islam in the nation, in Washington DC on Sunday. Protesting against the convention was a group of men holding anti-Islam signs and shouting that she and her friends were going to hell. "Islam is a religion of blood and murder," one sign read. 

"Most people were very upset and didn't know how to embrace their [the protesters'] presence. Some teens were getting upset, trying to approach the men," Ismaa'eel told Buzzfeed.

However, Ismaa'eel had a different approach. She decided to "smile in the face of bigotry," posing for photos while smiling and flashing a peace sign, with the protesters raging in the background.

Speaking to Buzzfeed, she said the protesters responded to her stunt by addressing her with racist comments. 

In her Instagram caption, she cited a Prophet Muhammad quote that reads, "Kindness is a mark of faith. Those who aren't kind have no faith."

"I wanted them to see the smile on my face, and see how happy I was to be me and walk around being a Muslim woman," she explained, according to The Guardian. 

"I wanted to show them that we are going to remain kind and unapologetic, and continue to spread love in the face of bigotry," she added.

Ismaa'eel's photos have been making the rounds on social media, amassing over 53,000 retweets on Twitter and over 157,500 likes on Instagram at the time of writing. 

Here are some reactions to her photos: