I'd slept restlessly. My head overcrowded with prayers & thoughts of those people trapped - in what must have been a seemingly endless day of terror.
I typed 'Syd' into my browser before auto complete had brought up the rest. A flood of news websites filling the page. After reading the first page I was flooded with relief.
Until I got to the end of the story.
Two innocent people had been killed. This morning as I awoke, there are two families waking to find that they have lost their son or daughter, their brother or sister, their husband or wife. Children who have lost their mother or father.
As tears welled in my eyes, the thoughts echoed though my head. Not here. Not us. Not Australia...
We pride ourselves in our multiculturalism. On our acceptance of everyone regardless of race, gender, colour, sexual preference or religion. We have always lived Terror free & most of us thought Australia to be untouchable by such abhorrent actions. A man interviewed on 'Sunrise' summarised:
"It's humanity which brings us together. That has been betrayed".
And we were. We, as a nation, were betrayed. A man - who came to our country seeking refuge & was willingly accepted into our community - spat in our faces & laughed about it.
But this is not the time for hate campaigns & fear mongering. Islam, at its core, is a peaceful & respectful religion. We cannot blame the religion as a whole for the actions of one man. That's like blaming Christians for the Klu Klux Klan, Jews for the Holocaust, gun manufacturers for Port Arthur...you see my point? It simply doesn't make sense. If we start fighting amongst ourselves - he - this awful, evil, psychotic human being, wins. Now is the time for Australia to stand together. Reject the actions of the individual - not our brothers & sisters who happen to follow a faith unfortunately tarnished by the extremist actions of a select minority.
Today, wherever you are, I urge you: stay true to the Australian way. Support your friends, family & coworkers - no matter what their race, sexual preference, gender, colour or religious belief. We have all been affected by the tragic events of the last 24 hours - ultimately ending in the passing of two comrades. Do not let the actions of one man divide us. We are better than that. We are Australians.
#IllRideWithYou
