The Small Thing Australians Are Offering to Do With Local Muslims in the Wake of the Sydney Hostage Siege

Muslims in Sydney who fear anti-Islam backlash following the siege at Lindt Chocolat Cafe are getting support from their fellow Australians.

Twitter users are spreading the #illridewithyou hashtag in an effort to show solidarity and are even offering to meet up with Muslims who fear retribution, ushering them safely to their destinations.

The #illridewithyou hashtag emerged after a woman named Rachael Jacobs wrote tweets claiming that she saw a supposedly Muslim woman remove her hijab while on a train — an act purportedly done out of fear in the wake of the cafe siege.

Jacobs approached the woman and told her to put it back on, pledging to walk with her, according to BBC News.

She wrote, "She started to cry and hugged me for about a minute — then walked off alone."

After reading this story, Twitter user Tessa Kum (@sirtessa) came up with the #illridewithyou hashtag, which quickly spread on social media.

The #illridewithyou message is now trending worldwide, as supporters continue to offer encouragement to Muslims who are fearful in the wake of the siege.

See some of the tweets below:

And read the ongoing discussion on Twitter here.

As TheBlaze previously reported, the campaign comes after a black flag featuring the words of the Shahada was seen in the window of the cafe. The Shahada is one of the five pillars of Islam, but has been used by extremists in the past.

Australian news outlets have named the suspected gunman as Man Haron Monis, also known as Sheikh Haron.

(H/T: BBC)