‘Love in the face of bigotry’: woman takes smiling stand against Islamophobic protesters

Shaymaa Ismaa’eel says she wanted demonstrators in Washington to see ‘how happy I was to be me’

• Kari Paul
• The Guardian

While attending an Islamic conference in Washington DC on Sunday, Shaymaa Ismaa’eel, a 24-year-old Muslim woman, passed by a group of angry protesters holding signs against Islam and shouting that she and her friends were going to hell. In response, she crouched in front of them and flashed a…

The resulting photo, posted on Instagram, has prompted an outpouring of support for Ismaa’eel.

“I wanted them to see the smile on my face, and…

• ‘Love in the…