New Zealand attack: Al Noor mosque imam tells world leaders to fight hate speech

An imam who survived the terror attack at Al Noor mosque has declared New Zealand “unbreakable” in a sermon attended by thousands in Christchurch on Friday and called on world leaders eliminate hate speech, saying the massacre “did not come overnight”.


Imam Gamal Fouda leads a prayer at Hagley Park, opposite Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday. Photograph: Martin Hunter/AAP

Speaking from a temporary stage set up in Hagley Park opposite the mosque, which is still surrounded by police tape a week after the attack, Imam Gamal Fouda said that in attempting to spread hate, the gunman who killed 50 people and injured 42 had instead sparked love and compassion.

“Last Friday I stood in this mosque and saw hatred and rage in the eyes of the terrorist,” he said. “Today from the same place I look out and I see the love and compassion in the eyes of thousands of New Zealanders and human beings from around the globe.”



The service followed a public call to prayer, which was broadcast on national radio and television and followed by a two-minute silence.

Survivors who were injured in the shooting sat in wheelchairs of the front row of the makeshift venue, while at the back, thousands of non-Muslim New Zealanders, including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gathered wearing hijabs to show their respects. Later, Ardern addressed the crowd, saying: “New Zealand mourns with you, we are one.”

Heavily armed police officers stood guard around the outdoor prayer service, while helicopters flew overhead. Under legislation announced by Ardern on Thursday, police will soon be one of the only groups able to access the kind of assault rifles they carry.

 

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern leaves Friday prayers in Christchurch on Friday. Photograph: Vincent Thian/AP

Fouda said: “This terrorist tried to tear our nation apart with an evil ideology that has torn the world apart but instead we have shown that New Zealand is unbreakable.”

He thanked “the neighbours who opened their doors to save us from the killer” and “those who pulled over their cars to help us”.

He thanked Ardern for “holding our families close and honouring us with a simple scarf”, saying her leadership had been “a lesson for the world”.

Ardern’s gesture of solidarity was echoed by women around around New Zealand, from police officers to council workers, journalists, and the wider public. Some posted images under the hashtags #headscarfforharmony and #ScarvesInSolidarity. The event was supported by the Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand and the NZ Muslim Association.

 

People pray during two minutes of silence for victims at Hagley Park in Christchurch on Friday. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty Images

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