Terrorist Attacks Mosques in Christchurch:
It was carnage, horrible massacre
Dr. Mozammel Haque
It was carnage, horrible massacre in Christchurch’s two
mosques on Friday, 15 March 2019 when an Australian-born white supremacist
opened fire at two mosques, killing 49 worshippers and wounded more than 40
Muslims. The attacks on Friday, 15 March
2019, the deadliest in New Zealand’s history, happened as people were attending
the mosques for Jumah prayers.
The two mosques in the city of Christchurch, Al-Noor Mosque
and Linwood Masjid, were attacked on Friday. At least 50 people killed and more
than 40 others wounded, which the country’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
described as one of the nation’s “darkest days”. The wounded included a
two-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl who are in critical condition.
New Zealand is an open, peaceful, diverse and inclusive
country of 4.25 million out of which Muslims make up about 1.1%, according to
the latest census figures. New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern said, “We are a
nation of 200 ethnicities, 160 languages. We open our doors to others and say
welcome.”
The gunman is Australian–born
terrorist
The terrorist is not from New Zealand. A 28-year old
Australian man identified as Brenton Harrison Tarrant has been charged with
murder after the shootings at the Al-Noor and Linwood mosques. Brenton in his
own words published in a rambling, racist and overtly white-supremacist online
manifesto minutes before the attack. He said, he had decided “to commit to
violence” against non-whites and immigrants, arguing they were destroying
societal cohesion.
Entitled “The Great Replacement” the 75-page manifesto said
the gunman – who identified himself as an Australian-born, white male - had
wanted to attack Muslims. “The Great Replacement”, a phrase that originated in
France and has become a rallying cry for European anti-immigration extremists.
The man said he had begun planning an attack after visiting Europe in 2017 and
being angered by events there. The title of the manifesto has the same name as
a conspiracy theory originating in France that believes European populations
are being displaced in their homelands by immigrant groups with higher birth
rates.
The terrorist attacks took place in Christchurch, New
Zealand. I therefore would like to look into the situation on the ground first and
the role of the government of New Zealand particularly Prime minister Jacinda
Ardern and then try to find out the reactions and responses of the UK
government, UK Muslim leaders and the opinion of the intelligentsia. This
terrorist attack was committed by a Far Right White Supremacist.
Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern
At Parliament
New Zealand Prime Minister earned praise the way she
handled the most terrible test of her country. She delivered a speech on
Christchurch terror attack on 19 March 2019. She addressed
the parliament, “Al Salam Alaikum, Peace be upon you. And peace be upon all of
us. On a quiet Friday afternoon a man stormed into a place of peaceful
worship and took away the lives of 50 people. That quiet Friday afternoon has
become our darkest of days. But for the families, it was more than that. It was
the day that the simple act of prayer – of practising their Muslim faith and
religion – led to the loss of their loved ones lives. Those loved ones, were
brothers, daughters, fathers and children.”
“They were New Zealanders. They are us. And because they are us, we, as
a nation, we mourn them. We feel a huge duty of care to them. And Mr Speaker,
we have so much we feel the need to say and to do,” said Prime Minister Jacinda
Ardent at Parliament.
New Zealand Prime Minister also praised those who showed extraordinary
courage. She said, “Naeem Rashid, originally from Pakistan, died after rushing
at the terrorist and trying to wrestle the gun from him. He lost his life
trying to save those who were worshipping alongside him. Abdul Aziz, originally
from Afghanistan, confronted and faced down the armed terrorist after grabbing
the nearest thing to hand – a simple eftpos machine. He risked his life and no
doubt saved many with his selfless bravery.”
Jacinda Ardent also mentioned some of the immediate measures and steps
she has taken to ensure the safety of the Muslim community. She said, “A
community welfare centre has been set up near the hospital in Christchurch to
make sure people know how to access support. Visas for family members overseas
are being prioritised so that they can attend funerals. Funeral costs are
covered, and we have moved quickly to ensure that this includes repatriation
costs for any family members who would like to move their loved ones away from
New Zealand.”
“Mr Speaker, there is one person at the centre of this act of terror
against our Muslim community in New Zealand. A 28-year-old man – an
Australian citizen – has been charged with one count of murder. Other charges
will follow. He will face the full force of the law in New Zealand. The
families of the fallen will have justice. He sought many things from his act of
terror, but one was notoriety. And that is why you will never hear me mention
his name,” said New Zealand Prime Minister.
Jacinda Ardern also said, “He is a terrorist. He is a criminal. He is an
extremist. But he will, when I speak, be nameless. And to others I implore you:
speak the names of those who were lost, rather than name of the man who took
them.”
She also mentioned,
“There is no question that ideas and language of division and hate have existed
for decades, but their form of distribution, the tools of organisation, they
are new. We cannot simply sit back and accept that these platforms just exist
and that what is said on them is not the responsibility of the place where they
are published. This of course doesn’t take away the responsibility we too must
show as a nation, to confront racism, violence and extremism. I don’t have all
of the answers now, but we must collectively find them. And we must act.”
She acknowledged and
expressed her gratefulness “for all messages of sympathy, support and
solidarity that we are receiving from our friends all around the world.
And we are grateful to the global Muslim community who have stood with us, and
we stand with them.”
She also acknowledged every member of this House that has stood
alongside their Muslim community but especially those in Canterbury as we
acknowledge this double grief
Speaking about New Zealand, its people and policy, Prime Minister Ardent
said, “we are a nation of 200 ethnicities, 160 languages. We open our doors to
others and say welcome. And the only thing that must change after the events of
Friday is that this same door must close on all of those who espouse hate and
fear. Yes the person who committed these acts was not from here. He was not
raised here. He did not find his ideology here, but that is not to say that
those very same views do not live here.”
She said, “We wish for every member of our communities to also feel
safe. Safety means being free from the fear of violence. But it also means
being free from the fear of those sentiments of racism and hate, that create a
place where violence can flourish. And every single one of us has the power to
change that.”
“Let us acknowledge their grief as they do. Let’s support them as they
gather again for worship,” said Prime Minister and added, “We are one, they are
us.”
She concluded her speech at the Parliament saying, “Tatau tatau Al salam
Alaikum Weh Rahmat Allah Weh Barakaatuh.”
Well-planned “Terrorist attacks” –
says the Prime Minister
Ardern,
the prime minister, said the assault on the mosques appeared to be a
well-planned "terrorist attack". "This is, and will be, one of
New Zealand's darkest days," Ardern told reporters.
New
Zealand's prime minister described the suspects as having "extremist
views". The accused shooter in the New Zealand mosque attacks sent Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern his 74-page diatribe against foreign "invaders"
minutes before he launched the assault that killed at least 50 worshippers. Ardern
said her office and others were emailed the alleged gunman's so-called
manifesto nine minutes before the attacks began, but there wasn't enough time
to take action to stop the massacre. "It did not include a location. It
did not include specific details... If we could have [stopped it], we
absolutely would have," she told reporters on Sunday.
In
emotional scenes, Ardern earlier met mourning members of the Muslim community
in Wellington. Friday's attack, which Ardern labelled
as "terrorism", was the worst ever peacetime mass killing in New
Zealand.
Prime Minister’s Support, Solidarity and
Sympathy to the Muslim community
The immediate measures, which the Prime Minister Jacinda
Ardern took and showed the sympathy and support to the Muslim community of the
country in times of need, become an example for leaders of the world how to
treat a minority. Followings are the praiseworthy measures of Prime Minister
Ardern:
*50 Muslims got
attacked & killed by an Australian born terrorist while praying at mosque
* How did New Zealand,
a tiny island of only 4 million people respond?
- entire
population mourned genuinely
- called it a
terrorist attack when the attacker was white
- Raised $9million
+ for the families affected
- All funeral costs
to be undertaken by the Government of New Zealand
- Any person caught
spreading hate news, or the attack video to be jailed up to 14 years.
- banned Guns
within hours of the incident
- Huge number of
people gathered all over the country to lay flowers outside mosques and show
their support within hours.
- Kiwi
people including the New Zealand police & even gang members of the
country are patrolling outside mosques while Muslims pray
|
- The Azaan
played publicly on National TV , Radio and every Mosque around New Zealand
at Friday prayers on 22 March 2019
|
- Government fast
tracked visas to 24 hours to allow families of affected to enter New Zealand
- Kiwi people
opened their homes to provide free shelter, food and support to any Muslim
- Non Muslim Kiwi
girls wore the Hijab to make Hijabi girls feel safer
- The New Zealand
media made sure they covered the Muslim voice in depth and detail, with full
interviews with the families of those affected, front page headlines for days
and still continuing
- The Prime
Minister Jacinda wore a Hijab and personally visited the Muslim community on a
daily basis to provide love, support & updates all while wearing a hijab.
She hugged Muslims and genuinely cried with them
- The New Zealand
Parliament invited an imam to start a Parliament session with an Islamic prayer
(First time in History)
- Flags flew at
half mast
- The Kiwi people
filled up parks and beaches with art work, flowers, and candles to show they
stand with the Muslim community shoulder to shoulder
- Non Muslim Kiwis
are actively staying around Muslims to make sure they feel welcome and at home.
They are sitting, talking & eating with them.
New Zealand, you
have made a special place in the hearts of 1.8 billion people.
I wrote the
following letter to the Prime Minister of New Zealand: “Congratulations to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for uniting
the nation. There are very very few leadership in the world like Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern. She deserves all praise for whatever she did. I have all praise
for her. She also deserves praise from all people who are victims of injustice
and terrorism. I Dr Mozammel Haque wholeheartedly appreciate her leadership. I
pray to God to grant her long life to serve the nation which she united under
the terrible test of her leadership. Good luck to her. God bless her.”
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern deserves Nobel Prize
for her support, solidarity and sympathy and humanitarian service for her citizens,
especially the Muslim community. There is a petition going on for awarding her
Nobel Peace Prize.
Response of the UK Government
The Queen paid tribute to the emergency services and
volunteers who helped the injured, and said: "Prince Philip and I send our
condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives. She
added that her "thoughts and prayers are with all New Zealanders" at
this "tragic time".
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, in a joint message with
the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, called the attack "senseless",
saying: "No person should ever have to fear attending a sacred place of
worship." They ended the message with the Maori words Kia Kaha, meaning
"stay strong".
British Prime Minister Mrs Theresa May also condemned the
"horrifying terrorist attack", saying: "My thoughts are with all
of those affected by this sickening act of violence." She said the UK
stood "shoulder to shoulder" with New Zealand. "There can be no
place in our societies for the vile ideology that drives and incites hatred and
fear," the prime minister added.
British
Home Secretary Sajid Javid said to a newspaper: “This is proof that terror has
no religion. Whether far right or Islamist, terrorist atrocities are about
hate, nothing else. I have made it my mission to address this despicable hatred
against all faiths and communities, at every level.”
“The
terrorists will not triumph. This cowardly attack can only harden our resolve.
Together we are stronger. We must stand side by side against hate. Side by side
with all British Muslims.”
Mr.
Sajid Javid was joined by Communities Secretary James Brokenshire, London Mayor
Sadiq Khan, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Chief Rabbi at the
Central London Mosque on Monday. Mr. Javid said Monday’s gathering was a
demonstration of a shared pain and “to show that no faith, no race, no community,
will ever be alone.”
He
added: “The events that unite us are beyond tragic, but together we represent
what is truly great about Britain. An open and welcoming country, that finds
strength in its diversity.”
The
London Mayor Sadiq Khan did not mention name politicians or the media directly,
but strongly hinted at their role in influencing people and having a role in
them becoming radicalised, reported BBC. “There is a responsibility on all of
us to be very careful in the language we use,” Mr. Khan urged.
At
the Central London Mosque on Monday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan added that
diversity in London was a strength, not a weakness. “We don’t simply tolerate
it – we embrace and respect it.”
London Mayor Sadiq
Khan said there was “anger” and “frustration” among young Muslims, adding they had
raised concerns about language used by politicians “that could’ve led to some
of the behaviour and actions we’ve seen not just in Christchurch but in this
country”.
Here
at London Central Mosque, leaders of all
faiths and backgrounds stand together against hate. Let us show that hope,
unity and love always trump fear, division and hatred. And let our friends in #Christchurch feel the ripples of solidarity and compassion from
our city.
Flags have been lowered to half mast at Downing Street and
the Foreign Office, as well as in the British town of Christchurch in Dorset,
which is twinned with its New Zealand namesake.
·
Muslim Funeral prayer
was held at Trafalgar Square London on Saturday 16th March
·
Sunday 17th
March Prayer held at Hyde Park Speakers Corners London
·
This is an absolutely
wonderful by New Zealand Nations. They are all putting this as their profile
pictures everywhere standing in solidarity on 15th March 2019
·
New Zealand Prime Minister
wore Hijab while honouring the Muslim community.
Prime Minister Ardern said it is a terrorist attack and there is a rise
of far right throughout the world.
Political leaders worldwide
Condemned the killings
Political leaders across the world condemned the
killings, racism and Islamophobia. Antonio-Guterres, the UN secretary General
condemned the shooting “of innocent people as they prayed peacefully in mosques
in New Zealand”, adding: “We must stand united against anti-Muslim hatred, and
all forms of bigotry and terror.”
Australia’s Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, ordered flags
to be flown half mast. He said: “I condemn the violent extremist right-wing
terrorist attack that has stolen the lives of so any innocent New Zealanders as
they went about their peaceful practice of worship at their mosques in
Christchurch today.”
The French President Emmanuel Macron, said: “All our
thoughts are with the victims of the heinous crimes against the mosques of
Christchurch, New Zealand, and with their loved ones. France stands against all
forms of extremism.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described
them as "the latest example of rising racism and Islamophobia". Pakistani
Prime Minister Imran Khan also
blamed the attacks on rising Islamophobia."I blame these increasing terror
attacks on the current Islamophobia post-9/11 where Islam and 1.3 billion
Muslims have collectively been blamed for any act of terror by a Muslim,"
said Khan. “This has been done deliberately to also demonise legitimate Muslim
political struggles."
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the
deadly attack on the mosques, describing them as "the latest example of
rising racism and Islamophobia." "With this attack, hostility towards
Islam, that the world has been idly watching and even encouraging for some
time, has gone beyond individual harassment to reach the level of mass
killing," Erdogan said at the funeral of a former Turkish minister.
“This attack shows the point which hostility to Islam and
enmity to Muslims has reached," Ibrahim Kalin wrote on Twitter. "We
have seen many times Islamophobic discourse against Islam and Muslims turning
into a perverse and murderous ideology. The world must raise its voice against
such discourse and must say stop to Islamophobic fascist terrorism," he
said.
UK Muslim leaders
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi said, “My concern with the
party and the government is Islamophobia – it’s our bigotry blind spot,” she
told the Guardian. Warsi said a
change the government should make – to show it has learned from the attacks in
New Zealand – is to adopt a formal definition of Islamophobia. A definition put
forward by the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims had been
adopted by the Lib Dems, was being considered by the Labour party and was backed
by councils, academics, 850 Muslim organisations and about 70 parliamentarians,
she said.
“Whether it’s in relation to the protection of
mosques, whether it’s in relation to engagement with British Muslim
communities, whether it’s in relation to acknowledging the level of hate either
within the party or within government policymaking, whether it’s the way we use
the language of British Muslim communities, it is our bigotry blind spot.
“It comes back down to the fact that we fail to see
it and recognise it as a specific form of racism that it is, directed at
British Muslim communities, and we therefore fail to make adequate policy and
respond.”
Harun Khan, the secretary general of the Muslim
Council of Britain, will be writing to Mrs May raising the “palpable sense of
fear” felt by Muslim communities after the attack in Christchurch, and warning
of the risk of copycat attacks in the UK.
The former integration tsar, Dame Louise Casey,
warned a New Zealand-style atrocity could occur in the UK. Casey said Britain
needed to “wake up” as extremism had not been tackled sufficiently.
There was a message of solidarity as faith and community leaders,
joined by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, held a gathering at the East London Mosque
dedicated to victims of the New
Zealand mosque shootings. Imam Mohammed Mahmoud calls for a
crackdown on far-right extremism. People
in power were partly responsible for "perpetuating the narrative of
otherness of a group who are perceived as infiltrators, and the dehumanisation
and the vilification of Muslims who, by and large, are peaceful, law-abiding,
loving citizens". The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, said an
"attack on faith anywhere" was an "attack on faith
everywhere".
Sheila McGregor, of the Tower Hamlets Stand Up To Racism group, said
the "demonisation" of Muslims was a "global phenomenon" and
had been carried out by politicians for "decades". "This kind of
act happens when people feel it is legitimate and it's legitimised from the
top," she said.
The role of language in fomenting anti-Islam sentiment was touched on
by several of the speakers, including the London mayor. Mr Khan did not
reference the media or any politicians directly, but strongly hinted at their
role in influencing people and at their role in people becoming radicalised.
"There is a responsibility on all of us to be very careful in the language
we use, and the messages we amplify," the mayor said.
We grieve together. We are one.
They are us - Ardern
The prime minister
addressed a special meeting on Tuesday, opening her speech by using Islamic
greeting "Al-Salaam Alaikum", which in English means "peace be
upon you". She said: "I implore you, speak the names of those who
were lost rather than the name of the man who took them. He is a terrorist. He
is a criminal. He is an extremist. But he will, when I speak, be
nameless."
Ardern was the first signatory of a national condolence book for the
country's worst mass killing that she opened in the capital Wellington on
Monday. "On behalf of all New Zealanders, we grieve together. We are one.
They are us," she wrote in the book.
Far-right terrorism
The Observer editorial
The
Observer editorial under the caption “The Christchurch shootings:
we’ve been too slow to see the far right threat” wrote on 17 March 2019: “even after so much previous bloodshed in the name of
hate-filled ideologies, the murder of 49 men, women and children at two mosques
in Christchurch, New Zealand,
on Friday has spread shock and disgust around the globe.”
It said, “But there were other factors
behind our collective outrage: recognition of the spread, power and brutality
of the global far right; the evidence that it feeds off a widening Islamophobia that reaches deep into our political
culture; and the demonstration of how terrorism has been made immeasurably more
effective by modern technology, in this case the manner in which the attacker
deployed Facebook to display his gruesome work.”
“Expressions of solidarity and support have
flooded in from all over the world. These are made in the hope that they will
provide some comfort to Muslims who will be feeling even less safe after
Friday’s attacks and are to be welcomed. But thoughts and prayers are not, and
have never been, enough. In the weeks and months after such an atrocity – when
the initial shock and grief has passed, but the extra police presence remains –
we have a duty to the Muslim, Jewish and other minorities that feel under
threat from far-right extremism. It is to ask a simple question: are we doing
all in our power to prevent such an attack happening again?” the editorial
continued.
“The regrettable truth is that expressing
deep sympathy in the immediate aftermath of an attack comes much more easily
than longer-term reflection on the role that politicians and social and
traditional media may play in creating an environment in which far-right
terrorism can flourish,” it said and mentioned, “There can be no doubt that the
west has underestimated the risk of far-right terrorism. The murder of the MP
Jo Cox in 2016 left Britain numb with shock. Yet what lessons were really
learned in the wake of her assassination? Since then, the far-right threat has
only grown.”
“There has been a tendency for our
political leaders to underplay far-right violence by claiming that it is the
product of isolated individuals, while seeing Muslim terrorists as linked to
groups working systematically to destroy western liberal societies” the
editorial said and added, “One reason for this double standard may be that it
is easier to attribute organised evil to fundamentalist movements whose origins
lie in societies that appear to have little in common with the west than to
accept that the same evil can grow in the hearts of those who live alongside
us.”
The Editorial observed, “Eight years ago,
Sayeeda Warsi argued that Islamophobia had passed the “dinner-table test” in Britain. Since then, Islamophobia
and antisemitism have come to pollute mainstream politics. The link between
hate speech and violent extremism may be complex and indirect, but it would be
naive to dismiss it altogether. So the world faces an important test in its
response to Christchurch. Will it be to express solidarity and move on? Or will
our leaders make more effort to call out all forms of racist hate wherever they
are found? That would be a fitting tribute to the 49 people who lost their
lives on Friday.”
What did Ardern say?
Asked about the rise of right-wing nationalism she said:
"This was an Australian citizen but that is not to say that we do not have
an ideology in New Zealand that would be an affront to the majority of New
Zealanders."
She defended New Zealand's record on accepting refugees,
saying: "We are a welcoming country. I utterly reject the idea that in any
way in trying to ensure that we have a system that looks after those who choose
to call New Zealand home that we have perpetuated an environment where this
kind of ideology can exist."
'We need global action on
extremism' –
New Zealand Prime Minister
The New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern
has called for global action on extremism in an exclusive BBC interview on 20
March 2019. Speaking to the BBC's Clive Myrie she said she "utterly
rejects" the idea that New Zealand had perpetuated an environment that
allows an extremist ideology to exist by allowing migrants into the country. Prime
Minister Jacinda Ardern wants to see a global fight against racism
after the Christchurch
mosque attacks.
She said there was a responsibility "to weed it out
where it exists and make sure that we never create an environment where it can
flourish".
But I would make that a global call," she added.
"What New Zealand experienced here was violence brought against us by
someone who grew up and learned their ideology somewhere else.
“If we want to make sure globally that we are a safe and
tolerant and inclusive world we cannot think about this in terms of boundaries,"
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
