New Zealand was the second anniversary of one of its most traumatic days on Saturday, when 51 worshipers at two Christchurch mosques were killed by a white shooter.
Several hundred people gathered in the Christchurch Arena for the memorial service, which was also live. A similar service planned last year was canceled at short notice due to the sudden spread of the coronavirus.
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Kiran Munir, whose husband Haroon Mahmood was killed in the attacks, told the crowd that she had lost the love of her life and her soulmate. She said her husband was a loving father of their two children. He had just completed a doctorate and was looking forward to his graduation when she last saw his smiling face.
“Little did I know that the next time I saw him the body and soul would not be together,” she said. Little did I know that the darkest day in the history of New Zealand had arrived. That day my heart was broken into thousands of pieces, just like the hearts of the 50 other families. ‘
Tofazzal Alam, a survivor of the Linwood Mosque shooting, speaks to the media outside the High Court in Christchurch, New Zealand on Friday, April 5, 2019. mosques are undergoing two mental health tests to determine if he is fit to address pleas in the case. (AP Photo / Mark Baker)
Temel Atacocugu, who survived being shot nine times during the attack on the Al Noor mosque, said the massacre was caused by racism and ignorance.
“They were attacks on all mankind,” he said.
He said the survivors would never be able to erase the pain in their hearts and would never be the same.
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“However, the future is in our hands,” he said. “We will continue and we will be positive together.”
In the attacks on March 15, 2019, the Australian Brenton Tarrant killed 44 people at the Al Noor Mosque during Friday prayers before driving to the Linwood Mosque, where he killed seven more.
Last year, Tarrant, 30, pleaded guilty to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
After the attacks, New Zealand quickly adopted new laws banning the deadliest types of semi-automatic weapons.
During the service, the names of each of the 51 people killed were read out. The efforts of first responders, including police and medics, were also acknowledged.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told the crowd that she was lost in the preparation of her speech on what to say, because words would never change what happened.
“But while words cannot work miracles, they do have the power to heal,” she said.
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Even before the attacks, the Muslim community experienced hatred and racism, and words must be used for change.
“There will be an indisputable legacy from March 15,” Ardern said. “A lot of it will be heartbreaking. But it’s never too early or too late for the legacy to be a more inclusive nation.”