If the irrational fear of Muslims–“Islamophobia”–is a significant problem in the wake of widespread Islamist terror attacks against non-Muslims, the evidence is somewhat lacking. As a potential terror attack and hostage crisis unfolded in Sydney, Australia, the number one trending topic on Twitter worldwide is “#illridewithyou”–a hashtag created to demonstrate solidarity with Muslims supposedly under greater threat than the hostages.
90,000+ Tweets for #illridewithyou, 1,100 per minute. Trending number 1, globally. #SydneySiege pic.twitter.com/NGeyUifhd8
— Aust News Network (@AusNewsNetwork) December 15, 2014
Certainly that sentiment is admirable. Yet it is striking that more people should choose to express solidarity with the supposed co-religionists of the alleged attacker than with the people trapped inside the Lindt café in fear of their lives.
Meanwhile, crimes against Jews, not Muslims, continue to be more likely victims of hate crimes in the U.S. and elsewhere.
It is worth asking whether political correctness, not real fear of Islamophobia, is at work.
Image: Carly Ward/Twitter
Senior Editor-at-Large Joel B. Pollak edits Breitbart California and is the author of the new ebook, Wacko Birds: The Fall (and Rise) of the Tea Party, available for Amazon Kindle.
Follow Joel on Twitter: @joelpollak
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