Muslim woman taking selfies with protestors at Muslim Expo in Antwerp, Belgium
Anti-Islamic sentiment is rampant throughout the world today. Too many misguided and misinformed people equate Muslims with terrorism. Many stereotype all people of Islamic faith as radicalized.
Recently in Antwerp, Belgium at the third annual Muslim Expo, which is a conference/fair that includes panels, workshops and keynote speakers on lifestyle topics, there were protests from the Flemish right-wing nationalist party known at Vlaams Belang. The group proclaimed that the Expo was designed to promote segregation and that the purpose was to radicalize its attendees. About 40 Vlaams Belang members gathered across the street with signs such as “no headscarves” and “stop Islam.” Another group handed out pork sausages and others yelled profanities.
Rather than retaliate or cower, one young Muslim woman decided to take some selfies with the protesters behind her. Some might say what a strange thing to do. Why would you want to take a picture with people who obviously hate you and what you believe in? However, when you look at the pictures where she is always smiling, you might interpret these images as “I’m in the picture too”, or “we are more together than we think”, or maybe you could interpret it as an “olive branch” or “no matter how much you protest, you are going to see me and those who look like me.”
Many might just look at these pictures and conclude that the young Muslim woman is joking around or for that matter is a “joke”, but if you look a little deeper and keep your gaze a bit longer on the images, just maybe you can see hope for a picture that one day will be one where she is invited to be included.
