A simple act of kindness becomes a blueprint for how we respond to terrorism. In the face of adversity, Sydney responds with love and the world follows.
Upon hearing of the hostage situation in Sydney and its apparently political-religious motivations, a Muslim woman was afraid to wear her hijab, removing it on a train, perhaps in fear that there would be backlash. This fear is unfortunately justified historically with hate crimes increasing exponentially against Muslims after incidents like the 7/7 suicide bombings in London and of course 9/11.
What is #illridewithyou?
Rachael Jacobs, a young Sydney Woman followed the Muslim woman removing her hijab and asked her to put it back on, offering “I’ll ride with you”. She tweeted the encounter and generated the #illridewithyou hashtag.
1/2 #illridewithyou overwhelmed. Mine was a small gesture because of sadness that someone would ever feel unwelcome because of beliefs
— Rachael Jacobs (@rachaeljacobs) December 15, 2014
2/2 I’m not the story. Anyone joining #illridewithyou is incredibly inspiring, creating a path to peace for all of us. Thank you @sirtessa
— Rachael Jacobs (@rachaeljacobs) December 15, 2014
People have started posting about their daily commutes with offers to ride with those who are afraid or feel that they may be targeted. The story has become the fastest growing hashtag on twitter.
A response of love to hate
It illustrates a powerful and effective response to hate and the fear it instills. After all, terrorism trades in fear. Hate and fear are effective because they affect people on an individual level, so the antidote must also be felt personally. The cure, as this demonstrated was to respond with love.
As travellers we are products of globalisation, it should have eroded this outdated xenophobia as one of the side effects of travel is understanding and experiencing foreign cultures, but it is very easy for fear to creep in when events like the ‘Sydney Siege’ occurs.
The #IllRideWithYou campaign isn't just heart-warming, it's also smart for counterterrorism. Inclusiveness is our best defense.
— Max Abrahms (@MaxAbrahms) December 15, 2014
Race, religion, politics, nationality differentiate us all, it’s a world of diversity, but we do have control on how we deal with that diversity. The “I’ll ride with you” initiative offers an action that reaps positive result. It’s helpful to dissuade fears of people who feel targeted.
