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Join Living Room Conversations, our civil dialogue partner, and America Indivisible for a nationwide conversation on April 13, Thomas Jefferson’s 276th birthday. "Reckoning with Jefferson: A Nationwide Conversation on Race, Religion, and the America We Want to Be" will be held via in-person and online video discussions. Sign up today!

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See How AllSides Rates Other Media Outlets

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Learn about America Talks

Story Date

Monday, December 15, 2014 - 06:45

Topics

Terrorism

Sydney gunman reportedly demands ISIS flag as some hostages escape

Australia, and the world, looked on with dread as a gunman holding hostages inside a darkened Sydney cafe demanded an ISIS flag and a phone call with Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Reports Indicate at Least One Gunman Holding Hostages in Cafe

ABC news in Sydney published an in-depth story on the black flag seen in the window of the cafe, noting that it is not an Islamic State flag but rather a black flag with the Shahada on it. The Shahada is one of the five pillars of Islam, but has been used by extremists in the past: