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 peace sign.

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

Another shot from in front of the protesters. Photograph: Courtesy Shaymaa Ismaa'eel

“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 said. “I wanted to show them that we are going to remain kind and unapologetic, and continue to spread love in the face of bigotry.”

The conference she was attending was the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) convention, a gathering dedicated to promoting Islam in the US that draws thousands of attendees each year. She initially saw the protesters on Saturday and walked past them without stopping. But throughout the conference in the following days, she said, she was thinking of them.

“My face lit up when I saw them again, because I wanted them to see my joy,” she said. “I just wish they could hear all the love being spread inside the conference instead of protesting outside.”

Ismaa’eel said in the neighboring state where she lives, she and many of her friends who wear hijabs have been harassed and occasionally feel unsafe. She has seen similar protesters in the past and taken photos in front of them as well, but in the environment following the mosque shootings in New Zealand this year, the image took on a new meaning.

“Today, we are getting more unapologetic – we aren’t afraid anymore,” she said. “Today more than ever we are aware of our struggles and we want to stand up for ourselves.”

Ismaa’eel said in the workshop she attended before confronting the protestors, attendees discussed the shooting in New Zealand that killed 50 Muslim worshippers. The speaker noted that as the murderer entered the building, the first victim of the shooting greeted him, saying, “Hello, brother,” something Ismaa’eel had in mind when she saw the protesters again.

“His last words were a sign of kindness he was giving someone in the face of hatred,” she said. “I want young Muslim children to know that we can still love our religion no matter who hates it.”