Every major programming language has its community of ardent followers. Rust is not special in this regard. I know because I've been part of the community for C#, C++, Go, Java, Lisp, Python, Smalltalk, etc.

The principal draw of Rust for most Rustaceans is, indeed, its memory safety features. It's unique to Rust.

Other languages provide fast execution, strong support for concurrency, and excellent package management. These are not particularly compelling reasons to choose Rust.