RNA – On a day filled with terror and hate comes a simple, sweet and beautifully poignant message of love and respect.
Australians are uniting to respond with love rather than fear as police negotiate for the release of hostages held in a Sydney Lindt chocolate café by suspected Takfiri militants.
At least one known gunman is holding a number of people hostage at a Sydney, Australia, café. He’s forced some of the hostages to display an Islamic flag in a window shortly after entering the establishment.
The flag, which displays the shahadah — a testament to the faith of Muslims, stoked fears that the ongoing incident is a “jihadist” attack. It’s a popular flag with Takfiri militant groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda.
As the hostage situation unfolds, Australians have become determined to not perpetuate negative stereotypes of their fellow Muslim countrymen and have started an #IllRideWithYouCampaign to ensure the safety of Muslims in Sydney.
It’s believed to have started after Facebook user Rachael Jacobs posted about an encounter she had on public transit with a woman she believed to be Muslim based on the hijab the woman was wearing.
A screengrab of her Facebook post was tweeted multiple times. Shortly afterward, Mashable reports Twitter user Sir Tessa suggested they will ride with anyone who doesn’t feel safe on Sydney public transit.
Shortly afterwards, Sir Tessa suggested starting a hashtag, #IllRideWithYou.
Locals in Sydney jumped on the idea and started offering themselves as companionship for any Muslim commuters who may be scared to travel alone in fear of unwarranted violence against them in wake of the hostage situation.
One Australian shared her story of travelling with someone who said #IllRideWithYou.
Another explained how the movement prompted her not to drive to work out of fear, but rather take public transit like she usually does.
The offers quickly spread to areas outside of Sydney, including Perth and Victoria.
The movement is no longer just contained to Australia. #IllRideWithYou companionship is being offered in Europe as well.
More than forty Australian Muslim groups have strongly condemned the acts the gunmen, stating that the actions are completely against Islamic teachings. A Shi’ah Muslim organization, the Ahlul-Bayt World Assembly of Australia, issued a statement in which they underlined that the perpetrators of the terror act are not following the religion of Islam.
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