#illridewithyou goes viral after Sydney siege

Anti-Islamaphobia campaign trends globally in solidarity with Muslims after cafe standoff raised fears of reprisal.

Source: aljazeera.com

Australians have taken to social media in solidarity with the country’s Muslim community to counter concern about an anti-Muslim backlash, after a gunman took an unknown number of people hostage at a cafe in Sydney’s financial and shopping district.

Amid uncertainty about the hostage-taker’s motives and fears of reprisals after a flag bearing the Islamic proclamation of faith, was raised in the cafe, some Australians created the hashtag,  #illridewithyou  in a bid to show solidarity with local Muslims who might feel threatened.

Al Jazeera’s Andrew Thomas, reporting from Sydney, said there was some reported racist sentiments towards Muslims especially on public transport following the standoff at the cafe.

The hashtag trended globally on Twitter rapidly and in response, Australia’s race discrimination commissioner Tim Soutphommasane said he was heartened by the campaign adding, “let’s not allow fear, hatred and division to triumph.”

More than 40 Muslim groups condemned the siege, saying in a statement that they rejected “any attempt to take the innocent life of any human being or to instil fear and terror into their hearts”.

The House of Allah as a sanctuary from fear and violence

 Masjids have served as safe areas in war torn Central Africa. A central mosque in Kilometer 5, a predominantly Muslim district of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), has become a safe haven for several hundreds of Muslims fleeing attacks by Christian mobs and anti-balaka militiamen. Behind these emotional, violent outbursts are the major world powers vying for mineral rights and control of resources. May Allah protect and empower the Muslims of this region. Here is a typical Central African Jami Mosque in Bujumbura, Burundi. The beauty and strength of Islam still shines!!!

Written by Abdullah Hakim Quick

Lofoten, Norway (IMAGE)

 

Lofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Though lying within the Arctic Circle, the archipelago experiences one of the world’s largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude.