Following last week’s terrorist attack in a Sydney cafe by a Muslim radical which claimed the lives of two people, a Twitter campaign called #illridewithyou was launched after a Facebook post by Rachael Jacobs who claimed she saw a Muslim woman remove her head scarf on a commuter train in fear that she would be attacked. Jacobs said she followed the Muslim woman when they departed the train to comfort her. 

The Australian media ate it up praising it as an act “that will restore your faith in humanity” in the wake of alleged anti-Islamic sentiment that had surfaced following the attacks.

Well, a few days ago, Jacobs admitted the incident which sparked the Twitter movement didn’t happen (H/T John Hayward at Human Events). Jacobs wrote that she did not speak with the woman and admitted the woman could have taken off the head scarf for other reasons. Jacobs writes, “She might not even be Muslim or she could have just been warm!”

But this did not deter Jacobs who also wrote:

The #illridewithyou hashtag, started by Twitter user @sirtessa and embraced by thousands, is the real story of inspiration. The movement has inspired thousands to publicly and loudly stand up for a decent and humane world. It’s a pre-emptive strike against racism and bigotry. We know what fear can do to a society, and rather than fall victim, thousands have pledged to be part of the force that fights for tolerance and compassion.

A pre-emptive strike against racism and bigotry?  Give me break. In other words, Jacobs is fighting a phony war. As I wrote here last week:

Of course, no one ought to violently accost Muslims going about their business or vandalizing mosques. But it seems to me that Australians should be directing their compassion to the families of those who died at the hands of Man Haron Monis and those who survived this ordeal. They may be alive, but they will be reliving this horror in one way or another for the rest of their lives.

It should be noted that Jacobs teaches at Australia Catholic University in Brisbane and stood for the Green Party in the last Australian federal election. Jacobs had a political agenda, molded the incident to fit that agenda and accused her fellow Australians of racism and bigotry they do not harbor in the name of tolerance and compassion.

Apparently, tolerance and compassion for Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson, the two people killed in the Lindt Chocolate Cafe, is not part of Jacobs’ political agenda.