About 24 hours ago 15 people were taken hostage in the Martin Place Lindt Cafe in Sydney, Australia. They were taken hostage by one man that forced them to hold up an Islamic flag against the window, a move that sent chills down everyone's spines. The flag itself was not an evil one but was deliberately used to draw people's minds to the recent acts of the group this man represented.. the Islamic State.
My husband and I watched the news coverage flat out last night, moving our TV into our bedroom so that we could keep up-to-date on what was happening. And one thing we saw on the news really impressed us. The way the Muslim community put all of Australia before themselves, the way the majority of Australia supported the Muslim community and the following hashtag...
#illridewithyou
It made me so proud to call myself Australian. Because I was so sure there would be bad backlash as soon as I saw that flag held up against the window. And there was a bit... but no where near as much as there could have been. The hashtag is all about supporting those who wear religious dress, those who have done nothing wrong but are so often discriminated against. It's about making them feel safe in a world of uncertainty. And I think it's great!
At 2:00 am last night there were two hostages dead and three injured as well as a police officer who was also injured. This morning make sure you hug your family extra tight and say you love them. Because there are two families this morning who are grieving loved ones who don't get that chance anymore.
