Suddenly finding herself face to face with far-right anti-Muslim protesters outside the third annual Muslim Expo in Antwerp, Belgium, 22-year-old Zakia Belkhiri decided to fight against intolerance with an unusual weapon: selfies.
Belkhiri told BBC Trending she wanted “to show that things can be different ... we can live together, not next to each other but with each other”.
Vlaams Belang demonstratie in Antwerpen en dan 1 superieure selfie.. pic.twitter.com/Ej68uRRuNE— Jeroen Pauw (@jeroenpauw) May 16, 2016
The protesters, carrying signs reading “No headscarves” and “No mosques”, didn’t seem to know how to react when the brave hijabi turned their protest into a photo opportunity. Some can even be seen to be smiling.
The interaction was captured by freelance photographer Jurgen Augusteyns, and his images, as well as Belkhiri’s selfies, have since gone viral, Vox reported.
#ZakiaBelkhiri showing the world that anti islam doesn't bother the women of Islam. The real #Queen . Proud of you pic.twitter.com/UMkLlixMsq— Muhammad Danish ✌♑ (@danish09678) May 20, 2016
LMAO fav internet photos of the day #ZakiaBelkhiri @WritersofColour pic.twitter.com/TtodgGT0s3— We Miss U ZackDLR (@Whi_Phi_) May 20, 2016
https://t.co/ICIqv5pA8i
— Zakia Belkhiri (@rabiosaaloca) May 19, 2016
On buzzfeed!! 😄😄
Image Credit: Zakia Belkhiri
