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| Sydney hostage crisis prompts #Illridewithyou show of solidarity with Australian Muslims | Sydney hostage crisis prompts #Illridewithyou show of solidarity with Australian Muslims |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The hostage standoff in Sydney, carried out by a suspected radical Muslim refugee, has threatened to fan anti-Islam sentiment in Australia. A poll in October found that the average Australian believes that the country's Muslim population is nine times its actual size, an indicator, perhaps, of the over-inflated fears of Islamic fundamentalism in the Antipodes. | |
| Those fears have been exacerbated by the rise in the Middle East of the militant group Islamic State, which has lured foreign fighters from Australia's Muslim communities and led to terror plots hatched on Australian soil. Muslim groups in the country earlier called on Prime Minister Tony Abbott to help "isolate bigots and reassure Muslims" that they're safe in their own society. | Those fears have been exacerbated by the rise in the Middle East of the militant group Islamic State, which has lured foreign fighters from Australia's Muslim communities and led to terror plots hatched on Australian soil. Muslim groups in the country earlier called on Prime Minister Tony Abbott to help "isolate bigots and reassure Muslims" that they're safe in their own society. |
| The crisis in Sydney, which appeared to near its end on Monday night after riot police stormed a luxury chocolate shop where hostages were being held under gunpoint, offered a welcome moment for unity. Earlier in the day, as the hostage-taker remained holed up in the establishment, a stirring, inspirational hashtag proliferated across the country. "#Illridewithyou" was meant as a mark of solidarity with Australian Muslims and others, such as Sikhs, who may worry that they will be targeted because of their religious garb. It was sparked by reports on social media of some Australians comforting others who were fearful of reprisal. | |
| This, this is what good people do. #sydneyseige #MartinPlace pic.twitter.com/zxbHLWzxEp — Michael James (@MichaelJames_TV) December 15, 2014 | This, this is what good people do. #sydneyseige #MartinPlace pic.twitter.com/zxbHLWzxEp — Michael James (@MichaelJames_TV) December 15, 2014 |
| This, this is what good people do. #sydneyseige #MartinPlace pic.twitter.com/zxbHLWzxEp — Michael James (@MichaelJames_TV) December 15, 2014 | This, this is what good people do. #sydneyseige #MartinPlace pic.twitter.com/zxbHLWzxEp — Michael James (@MichaelJames_TV) December 15, 2014 |
| The hashtag soon emerged, linked to Twitter user @sirtessa: | The hashtag soon emerged, linked to Twitter user @sirtessa: |
| 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 | 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 |
| 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 | 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 | Maybe start a hashtag? What’s in #illridewithyou? — Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014 |
| Maybe start a hashtag? What’s in #illridewithyou? — Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014 | Maybe start a hashtag? What’s in #illridewithyou? — Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014 |
| Anyway. #373 bus between Coogee & Martin Place. #illridewithyou @ me if you just want to wear your headdress & not be bothered. — Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014 | Anyway. #373 bus between Coogee & Martin Place. #illridewithyou @ me if you just want to wear your headdress & not be bothered. — Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014 |
| Anyway. #373 bus between Coogee & Martin Place. #illridewithyou @ me if you just want to wear your headdress & not be bothered. — Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014 | Anyway. #373 bus between Coogee & Martin Place. #illridewithyou @ me if you just want to wear your headdress & not be bothered. — Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014 |
| From there, the hashtag took off and has been shared on Twitter almost 200,000 times in the past day. | |
| Today we are One Country, One Nation & One Humanity. This is Australia we dream of, haters & trouble makers have place here. #illridewithyou — Arif (@Atozai) December 15, 2014 | Today we are One Country, One Nation & One Humanity. This is Australia we dream of, haters & trouble makers have place here. #illridewithyou — Arif (@Atozai) December 15, 2014 |
| Today we are One Country, One Nation & One Humanity. This is Australia we dream of, haters & trouble makers have place here. #illridewithyou — Arif (@Atozai) December 15, 2014 | Today we are One Country, One Nation & One Humanity. This is Australia we dream of, haters & trouble makers have place here. #illridewithyou — Arif (@Atozai) December 15, 2014 |
| I drive but today I visited small business today to assure the Muslim owners that I was with them at this difficult time #illridewithyou More than happy to join the #IllRideWithYou initiative. T3 or T4 from Sydenham to city and return, daily. — Jakkii Musgrave (@slybeer) December 15, 2014 | I drive but today I visited small business today to assure the Muslim owners that I was with them at this difficult time #illridewithyou More than happy to join the #IllRideWithYou initiative. T3 or T4 from Sydenham to city and return, daily. — Jakkii Musgrave (@slybeer) December 15, 2014 |
| I drive but today I visited small business today to assure the Muslim owners that I was with them at this difficult time #illridewithyou | I drive but today I visited small business today to assure the Muslim owners that I was with them at this difficult time #illridewithyou |
| More than happy to join the #IllRideWithYou initiative. T3 or T4 from Sydenham to city and return, daily. — Jakkii Musgrave (@slybeer) December 15, 2014 | More than happy to join the #IllRideWithYou initiative. T3 or T4 from Sydenham to city and return, daily. — Jakkii Musgrave (@slybeer) December 15, 2014 |
| More than happy to join the #IllRideWithYou initiative. T3 or T4 from Sydenham to city and return, daily. — Jakkii Musgrave (@slybeer) December 15, 2014 | More than happy to join the #IllRideWithYou initiative. T3 or T4 from Sydenham to city and return, daily. — Jakkii Musgrave (@slybeer) December 15, 2014 |
| If you wear religious attire, & need to get from #Adelaide's westsuburbs to the city on Tues but don't want to travel alone #illridewithyou” — Clara Collin (@msclaracollin) December 15, 2014 | If you wear religious attire, & need to get from #Adelaide's westsuburbs to the city on Tues but don't want to travel alone #illridewithyou” — Clara Collin (@msclaracollin) December 15, 2014 |
| If you wear religious attire, & need to get from #Adelaide's westsuburbs to the city on Tues but don't want to travel alone #illridewithyou” — Clara Collin (@msclaracollin) December 15, 2014 | If you wear religious attire, & need to get from #Adelaide's westsuburbs to the city on Tues but don't want to travel alone #illridewithyou” — Clara Collin (@msclaracollin) December 15, 2014 |
| I drive but today I visited small business today to assure the Muslim owners that I was with them at this difficult time #illridewithyou — Peter Doyle (@PeterDoyley) December 15, 2014 | I drive but today I visited small business today to assure the Muslim owners that I was with them at this difficult time #illridewithyou — Peter Doyle (@PeterDoyley) December 15, 2014 |
| I drive but today I visited small business today to assure the Muslim owners that I was with them at this difficult time #illridewithyou — Peter Doyle (@PeterDoyley) December 15, 2014 | I drive but today I visited small business today to assure the Muslim owners that I was with them at this difficult time #illridewithyou — Peter Doyle (@PeterDoyley) December 15, 2014 |
| I don't travel far each day. Redfern to Wynard on the red bus but #illridewithyou if you need me. Let's stamp out racism & harassment. — RollerDerbyDame (@RollerDerbyMum) December 15, 2014 | I don't travel far each day. Redfern to Wynard on the red bus but #illridewithyou if you need me. Let's stamp out racism & harassment. — RollerDerbyDame (@RollerDerbyMum) December 15, 2014 |
| I don't travel far each day. Redfern to Wynard on the red bus but #illridewithyou if you need me. Let's stamp out racism & harassment. — RollerDerbyDame (@RollerDerbyMum) December 15, 2014 | I don't travel far each day. Redfern to Wynard on the red bus but #illridewithyou if you need me. Let's stamp out racism & harassment. — RollerDerbyDame (@RollerDerbyMum) December 15, 2014 |
| It's a welcome moment in an otherwise tense context. The British-American stand-up comic John Oliver last year pilloried Australians for living in the "most comfortably racist country," suggesting that casual bigotry toward immigrants, Muslims and non-Muslims, was rife in that country. But many others defend the success of Australian multiculturalism. A social-experiment video earlier this year staged a confrontation between a man and a woman clad in a hijab, a head covering. The repeated scenes of other Australians coming to her defense sent the video viral on YouTube, leading to more than a million hits. | It's a welcome moment in an otherwise tense context. The British-American stand-up comic John Oliver last year pilloried Australians for living in the "most comfortably racist country," suggesting that casual bigotry toward immigrants, Muslims and non-Muslims, was rife in that country. But many others defend the success of Australian multiculturalism. A social-experiment video earlier this year staged a confrontation between a man and a woman clad in a hijab, a head covering. The repeated scenes of other Australians coming to her defense sent the video viral on YouTube, leading to more than a million hits. |
| Of course, there are some critics in Australia and elsewhere who decry the "political correctness" of the #Illridewithyou hashtag. But for its creator, who has been bombarded by media requests for comments since she first spawned the meme, it's something far more simple and real. | Of course, there are some critics in Australia and elsewhere who decry the "political correctness" of the #Illridewithyou hashtag. But for its creator, who has been bombarded by media requests for comments since she first spawned the meme, it's something far more simple and real. |
| For me, #illridewithyou is literal. I'll sit next to you and we can use our phones because I'm not capable of conversation in the morning. — Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014 | For me, #illridewithyou is literal. I'll sit next to you and we can use our phones because I'm not capable of conversation in the morning. — Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014 |
| For me, #illridewithyou is literal. I'll sit next to you and we can use our phones because I'm not capable of conversation in the morning. — Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014 | For me, #illridewithyou is literal. I'll sit next to you and we can use our phones because I'm not capable of conversation in the morning. — Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014 |
| For me, #illridewithyou is literal. I'll sit next to you and we can use our phones because I'm not capable of conversation in the morning. — Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014 | For me, #illridewithyou is literal. I'll sit next to you and we can use our phones because I'm not capable of conversation in the morning. — Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) December 15, 2014 |