December 17, 2014

Ordinary people rise up

editor:	Neelo Aysha Scholz

Four incidents this week restored this writer’s faith in humanity. It seems ordinary people are saying, enough is enough, and are going out of their way to put things right. On the streets and on social media, people are making themselves heard and with it, reminding us of the humanity that exists in the world.

Whilst a recently bailed man of Iranian origin took 17 people hostage in a café in Sydney, Sydneysiders offered their support to the Muslims in their community rather than succumbing to bigotry and fear. #I’llRideWithYou trended on Twitter, with tens of thousands of ordinary Australians offering to accompany Muslims fearing bigoted reprisal attacks on public transport.

In Germany, while right wing groups have organized angry protests amidst anti-immigration sentiment, and Bavaria has seen an arson attack on a would-be refugee center, many more Germans marched in retaliation, against xenophobia. While Dresden saw 15000 take to the streets on Monday to protest the perceived Islamization of Europe, 6000 also turned up welcoming refugees in the city. 15000 more marched in Cologne on Sunday to protest the intolerance with the motto: “You are Cologne - no Nazis here”.

The same week saw tens of thousands of Americans take to the streets of New York and Boston to denounce institutionalized police racism and show solidarity with the families of the victims of police brutality.

And with the Taliban plummeting to a new low in its attack on a school in Pakistan yesterday, #IndiaForPakistan trended on Twitter, with Indians sharing their historical enemy’s grief, and offering solidarity in their darkest hour.