For the past few days, Zakia Belkhiri, a young Muslim living in Belgium has become one of the most discussed individuals on social media. This is because during an Islamophobic protest in Belgium, this young girl went to the rally and lodged a counter protest in a special way.

As protesters gathered outside the expo, which celebrated Muslim lifestyle, art and culture, they were holding placards with messages such as “No headscarves” and “Stop Islam.” In response, the teenage Hijabi Muslim girl stood firmly in front of the protesters and took selfies as a counter protest.

Soon, her selfies went viral all over the social media which were shared by thousands of her supporters around the globe who saw her as a "defiant" teen standing up to anti-Muslim protesters.

As much as it might sound amusing and courageous for Muslims around the globe as well as western liberals, there are a couple of things that shouldn't be overlooked in this matter.

First of all, no matter how much we oppose the secular western societies, these are much more tolerant than our Islamic Pakistani society or most other Muslim majority states.

When an Islamophobic protest took place in Belgium, Zakia Belkhiri was able to register a counter protest without any consequences.

How many of us can guarantee a safe exit for any Shia who goes to any similar sectarian Sipah-e-Sahaba rally in Pakistan?

How many of us are willing to allow any "Pro-Israel" activists to come in front of Jamat-e-Islami rally when they take out rallies to express solidarity with Palestinians? 

Maybe it all comes down to one ugly truth that we want all those rights and privileges for ourselves that we are in no way willing to give to others. This is why we enjoy a Muslim girl counter protesting in anti-Islamic rally, but we do not acknowledge that the freedom and space given by a secular society allows her to register this counter protest.

If that society allowed an Islamophobic protest, it also allowed a counter protest. Maybe this is why I personally don’t find anything "heroic" in this act.

It would have been heroic if she had done the same in front of a violent mob chanting ''Hijabi ki saza sar tan se juda.'' She was quite aware of the fact that she lives in a society where nobody would beat her to death for being hijabi which is why I find nothing "courageous" in her act.

It’s just like any random Mumtaz Qadri supporter showing up at a harmless civil society protest, taking selfies and ending up becoming hero for being "too bold". 

You're a hero if you stand for something knowing that it will endanger your life. For me females defying the system by driving cars in Saudi Arabia, going to prison for dressing up the way they want in Iran, or holding up a picture of Salmaan Taseer at a pro Mumtaz Qadri rally in Pakistan are heroes. 

Rashid Rehman, was a hero who knew the consequences of taking up the case of Junaid Hafeez, a blasphemy accused, yet didn't back off and ultimately gave up his life for that. Or Rachel Corrie, an American activist who was killed by an IDF armoured bulldozer when she stood in its path aiming to prevent house demolitions in Gaza.

There are many heroes in the Muslim world who were well aware of the consequences of all that they stood for yet they stood their ground. Those are the heroes that western Liberals and leftists need to acknowledge. There are many Sabeen Mahmuds, Rashid Rehmans, Parveen Rehmans, Aitezaz Hassans just in Pakistan, Raif Badawi in Saudi Arabia, Fatemeh Estakhari in Iran, the tank man of Tiananmen Square, and many more.

Calling Zakia Belkheri a hero puts her in the same league as them. And to me that is an injustice.