Wow. What a heart-warming reaction to this terrible event.
After the Martin Place siege in Sydney Australia ended in tragedy and it came to light that the man behind the attack was an extremist Muslim cleric, Australians on Twitter had the most incredible response ever.
[ Related: UPDATE: Gunman In Sydney Hostage Situation Dead ]
Instead of responding to the attack with fear and uncertainty, they banded together to start #IllRideWithYou a movement that showed hundreds of thousands of people supporting their Muslim brothers and sisters.
The whole hashtag was created by Tessa Kum, a TV content editor and writer, after she saw a Facebook update from Rachel Jacobs.
It said:
So, Tessa took to Twitter and wrote the tweets that sparked the whole movement.
They were:
If you reg take the #373 bus b/w Coogee/MartinPl, wear religious attire, & don’t feel safe alone: I’ll ride with you. @ me for schedule.
— Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014
Maybe start a hashtag? What’s in #illridewithyou?
— Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014
Since the initial words picked up steam, countless people have taken to the Twitterverse to let the Muslim world know that they stand with them.
Rachel also recounted her story to the Brisbane Times and she explained exactly why this movement was so important.
She said:
“It’s a pre-emptive strike against racism and bigotry. We know what fear can do to a society, and rather than fall victim, thousands have pledged to be part of the force that fights for tolerance and compassion…
But #illridewithyou reminds us that we can overcome fear and ignorance with a pledge to treat each other with respect. It’s a reminder that decent Australians don’t hold an entire group of people responsible for the actions of one man.”
WOW. What a way to respond to such a tragic event. You go, Australians!
By realizing the attack was nothing but an isolated attack by one crazed man, they banded together to show just what kind of a country Australia is.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the tragedy that happened in Sydney.
[Images via Facebook/Twitter.]
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