it’s taken me a bit to actually feel like i can post anything about this. i have a lot of thoughts running through my head and i want to make them as clear as possible, as to not have them misinterpreted.

hearing about what happened in bondi scares me. the fact that it can happen on our soil. this is gonna sound cliche but it felt so american to me. i have never lived a day where i have to fear my life will be taken by a gun.

the attack being directed at a jewish hanukkah celebration is horrendous. it shows just how much anti-semitism still exists in our society and it needs to stop. these people were killed for their beliefs, for celebrating a sequence of days related to something special. it breaks my heart to know that during this holiday, families will be grieving so freshly and publicly. no one deserves to die for their beliefs.

then there is the other side of this. the “extremists”, who claim to follow a religion that they do not partake in the fundamental beliefs of. they shouldn’t be called extremists, they should be called terrorists. not a single action taken by the duo shows respect to islam. the fact that people are now scared to leave their houses because of the right-winged media frenzy is horrifying. muslims have had to fight for their rights before, but especially since, 9/11. because of extremist, terrorist, ideology there has been so much blame put on muslim communities. muslims didn’t do anything wrong at bondi, terrorists did. police have already found a clear link between the terrorists and isis, thus putting it further that these people were not muslim’s.

within the first hour of the news breaking not only was right-winged media calling for mass deportations of muslims, but they were also using this terrorist attack as a reason for why palestine should not exist. two things can be true at once; jewish people have the right to feel safe in australia, and palestians have the right to their homelands. blaming the pro-palestine rallies for these heinous actions is deplorable, and every media outlet who shared these ideas needs to have a real think about what they are publishing.

the pro-palestinian community has been infiltrated by anti-semites for far too long. you cannot hate the jewish people, and claim to love palestinians. you cannot denounce one massacre, but praise the other. world war two has shown us so many lessons, but one of the biggest was that it shall never be repeated. yet currently we as a planet and society are allowing it to be repeated by israel.

the way that the australian community has shown up for these people. having blood donation centres with lines wrapping around them, so that people get the chance to help each other. it is beautiful. us having some of the strictest gun laws, yet out parliament is now cracking down on them even more. it is great. but we need to also see the larger picture, terrorists should not be affiliated with a religious belief. people should be allowed to live in safety no matter where they are, who they are, or what religion they choose to follow.

whilst the media is on a rampage, and graphic videos are being posted all over our timelines, i hope that the community is able to grieve and mourn together in peace.