Six Pakistanis perish in Christchurch massacre

CHRISTCHURCH: Donning a ‘dupatta’, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Saturday visited the families of Christchurch terror attack victims and sympathised with them.

Jacinda’s expression of solidarity with the Muslims in this hour of grief was well-received. Attacks on the two Christchurch mosques left at least 51 dead on Friday.

In what appeared to be the worst attack against Muslims in a western country, witnesses spoke of victims being shot at close range, with women and children believed to be among those killed.

A teary-eyed Ardern said she brought messages of love, support and grief on behalf of all New Zealanders to the crowd gathered at Canterbury Refugee Resettlement and Resources Centre.

"New Zealand is united in grief," she said. She was showered with immense praises internationally for the gesture, which made it clear that New Zealand stood by the Muslim community that was the centre of Friday's horrifying terror attacks rooted in racial as well as religious hatred. Ardern described the incident, the worst mass shooting in New Zealand’s history, as an assault on the country’s values.

Speaking to reporters later, Ardern said the country’s gun laws will change in the aftermath of attack by Brendon Terrant, the Australia-born terrorist behind the carnage. She said Tarrant, who was arrested and charged with murder and committing a terrorist act, had allegedly used five firearms, including two semi-automatic weapons, two shotguns and a lever-action firearm.

The New Zealand premier said he (Tarrant) was in possession of a "Category A" gun licence obtained in 2017. This, according to her, allowed the Australian terrorist to legally obtain weapons in December 2017, and that he was not on any watch-lists prior to the attacks.

"While work was done as to the chain of events that led to both the holding of this gun licence and the possession of these weapons, I can tell you one thing right now: our gun laws will change," Ardern told reporters. She said attempts had been made to change New Zealand's [gun] laws in 2005, 2012 and in 2017 following an inquiry.

"Now is the time for change. There are obviously questions being asked of how this person was able to enter the country and undertake this act of terror," the premier said.

She said she had already instructed the ODESC (Officials Committee for Domestic and External Security Coordination) to report to the cabinet on Monday on Friday's events with a view to strengthening the country's systems on a range of fronts including, but not limited to, firearms, border controls, enhanced information-sharing with Australia, and any practice reinforcement of their watch-list processes. Jacinda said she had told US President Donald Trump to show all Muslim communities “sympathy and love”.

Ardern said she made the comments when Trump asked what he could do in the aftermath of Christchurch mosque attacks, according to The Guardian. Trump had said he had spoken to Ardern in a phone call on Friday and said the United States is prepared to give any assistance following the killing of 49 people at two mosques in New Zealand. “I informed the prime minister that we stand in solidarity with New Zealand - and that any assistance the USA can give, we stand by ready to help,” Trump said on Twitter. In remarks to reporters at the White House, Trump added: “Earlier today I spoke with Prime Minister Ardern of New Zealand to express the sorrow of our entire nation following the terrorist attacks at the two mosques. These sacred places of worship were turned into scenes of evil killing.”

Meanwhile, an imam who was leading prayers at a Christchurch mosque that was attacked said the Muslim community´s love for New Zealand would not be shaken by the massacre. "We still love this country," said Ibrahim Abdul Halim, imam of Linwood Mosque, vowing that extremists would "never ever touch our confidence". Halim gave a harrowing account of the moment during Friday prayers when gunshots rang out in the mosque, replacing peaceful reflection with screaming, bloodshed and death.

"Everyone laid down on the floor, and some women started crying, some people died immediately," he said. But, he said, New Zealand Muslims still felt at home in the south Pacific nation. "My children live here" he said, adding, "We are happy". He said the majority of New Zealanders "are very keen to support all of us, to give us full solidarity", describing how strangers exchanged hugs with him on Saturday. "They start to... give me big hug, and give me more solidarity. This is something very important." The attacks on two mosques by a right-wing terrorist left 49 people dead.

Meanwhile, six Pakistanis were martyred in the Christchurch mosque attacks, New Zealand authorities confirmed to the Foreign Office on Saturday at the time this report was filed. The Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammed Faisal said Naeem Rashid, the Pakistani who sacrificed his life to save others at the Al Noor Mosque, will be buried along with his son Talha Naeem, 22, in Christchurch.

Naeem Rashid has become a hero. He tried to stop the shooting by launching himself at the gunman. He was a resident of Jinnahabad, Abbottabad and a professor in New Zealand. He received his education from the Army Burn Hall College and went to New Zealand for higher education, eventually settling there. “It is my request to provide urgent facilities to my mother to travel to New Zealand. My sister-in-law is alone there,” appealed Naeem Rashid’s brother. Speaking to Khaleej Times, Naeem Rashid’s wife called her husband a hero. "My son and my husband are heroes," Ambreen said, crying inconsolably. "This is the mosque they always went to. I still can't understand or believe why and how this happened. But, I know that my husband is a hero. He always helped people and even in his last moments, he did what he could to help others."

The 28-year-old right-wing extremist Brenton Tarrant appeared in a local court earlier on Saturday on murder charges. He was seen smiling with his face showing no signs of remorse.

He was remanded in custody with no bail request. He was scheduled to appear in the South Island city’s High Court on April 5 and will likely face further charges.