Kindness first: Why this Muslim woman's image went viral

A picture of a young woman wearing a hijab and posing in front of anti-Muslim protesters has gone viral. 

Shaymaa Ismaa'eel took the picture outside the Walter E Washington Convention Centre in Washington DC, US, while attending an Islamic Circle of North America conference.

"Kindness is a mark of faith. Those who aren't kind have no faith," she wrote, as she quoted Prophet Muhammad. 

The 24-year-old told CNN she noticed the protesters on the second day of the convention.  On the third day, she asked her friend to take the picture, as they had made anti-Islamic remarks towards her. 

Her post has since been widely shared on social media. It has received more than 258,000 likes on Instagram and more than 288,000 likes on Twitter. 

"On ... April 21st I smiled in the face of bigotry and walked away feeling the greatest form of accomplishment," she tweeted.