The horrific Christchurch massacre in the 2 mosques which took place on Friday, March 15, 2019 that killed 50 people and injured 50 others can never be justified by whatever lens we see it from. May ALLAH accept these victims as martyrs, spare them from the trials of the grave and grant them a swift entrance into Paradise. And may ALLAH also give strength to their families to endure this immeasurable pain and loss with great patience.
The reason the shooter gave for his evil action is he was fed-up with the increasing migration of Muslims to the land of the Whites that he sees as causing a serious imbalance to the culture and livelihood of the host countries. He wants this to be stopped and believes that they should also be punished for the distress that they have caused to the White people. Plain and simple.
We can’t get a more straight-forward admission than this.
In all honesty, I think it is naïve for Muslims all over the world to expect the Whites in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand to not feel threatened and antagonized by the influx of millions of Muslim migrants who have come to settle down in their lands from Pakistan, Bangladesh, North Africa, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and other parts of the world, especially within the past 15 years.
The backlash from these antagonized Whites was imminent. The writings have been on the wall for quite sometime already. It was a ticking time bomb that was nearing its moment.
Why not ? Inciting bigotry and racial hatred has become a normal and common subject for their Right-Wing or Far-Right politicians to scream openly and fan the feeling of insecurity among their people to gain support for their political agenda. It was just a matter of time before something crazy like what had happened in Christchurch to finally explode as a natural consequence of the unrestricted actions of these bigots.
Most of us look at the symptoms of this incident and argue about it endlessly, rather than the underlying reason that caused it in the first place.
To me, the main issue and question that begs to be answered is : Why are millions of Muslims migrating from their homeland to the lands of the unbelievers ? Why do they not just stay at home? And if they have to leave, why not move to other Muslim countries instead ?
This is actually a rhetorical question which I have my own answer to offer : I believe that a great majority of Muslims who migrate do so to escape the persecution, oppression and tyranny of their leaders, who by the way are Muslims too. They could not find peace and safety in their own land, and were also faced with a bleak future that does not hold any promise for their offspring. Migration is the only way out for them to find safety and pursue a better future for themselves and their families.
But the sad part is : It is only in the land of the unbelievers where they see a more promising future that awaits them. Not in other Muslim countries. Isn’t this strange ? Why is it that Muslims choose to turn to the land of the unbelievers for safety and the prospect of economic prosperity instead of in other lands where they share a common faith with its inhabitants ?
The answer is obvious. Muslim countries are badly governed because their leaders are terribly corrupt. These countries only appear Islamic in name, symbols and ritual practices. Most have strayed from the essence of the true teachings of Islam as enjoined by the Qur’an and Prophetic traditions that commands its adherents to worship only One God, abide by the teachings of His last Messenger and uphold justice.
“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice as witnesses to the truth for the sake of ALLAH, even if it is against yourselves, or your parents and relatives. Whether the person concerned is rich or poor, ALLAH’s claim takes precedence over both of them. So follow not the behests of lusts, lest you deviate from justice. If you distort the truth or decline to do justice, then know that Allah is All-Aware of everything that you do.”
[An-Nisaa’ (4) : 135]
Yes … make no mistake that Islam demands that social justice to be truly and diligently served to everyone, regardless of faith and race. Islam is not Islam if justice is taken out from the equation. AL-ADL or The Just is one of the names and attributes of Allah, for He is indeed the Most Just. Hence, the beauty of Islam and the truth in this religion can only be felt and experienced when justice and fairness are truly upheld and served.
Unfortunately, corruption and oppression have instead took precedent to be the standard practice and trademark of almost all Muslim leaders today, replacing justice. This despicable disease has even caused these devils to sell their souls – for the sake of temporal gains – to the white infidel leaders who are bent on destroying whatever that lies in their path that they see as hindrances and obstacles to their white supremacy agenda that is designed to rule the world.
So really, the fundamental fault actually lies in many of us who continue to fight among ourselves, only to end up allowing the most corrupt among us to exploit our vulnerable condition and then seizing it to their advantage. And when they succeed to become our leaders, they would betray the trust of the people and inflict grave damage to their nation and society, leaving the ummah lost and helpless. And yet they still have the audacity to call themselves Muslims!
Allah has forewarned us about this 14 centuries ago.
And when it is said to them, “Do not spread corruption (and cause disorder on earth),” they say, “Indeed, we mean well and seek to set things right. But beware! It is they who are the ones who spread corruption (and cause disorder on earth), and yet they do not realize (the grave damage that they have caused and done).”
[Al-Baqarah (2) : 11 -12]
“We have placed the greatest of the sinners in every community and nation to contrive and deceive therein (until its people can distinguish between truth and falsehood, and strive to uphold justice). But the fact is, these evil perpetrators contrive against none except their own souls without realizing it (and those who condone and accept their ways are no different).”
[Al-An’aam (6) :123]
If this condition continues to persist, then the problem of mass exodus/migration of our oppressed brothers and sisters from their impoverished homeland to the “promised” land of the unbelievers will never cease.
Under this circumstance, we should realistically brace ourselves to expect more deadly attacks to follow because the truth is : Many of the Whites are simply getting more impatient and fed-up with us for invading their space, and they are striking back hard.
Of course not all Whites are like this. But just a few loose cannons are enough to cause catastrophic damage while the rest of the world only sits idly to watch and offer lip-service condolences. It would be very naïve of us to expect anything more than this from them because it is not in their interest to help us fight this battle.
The Messeger of Allah (peace be upon him) has prophesized 14 centuries ago that Muslims will one day end up as losers if they are besieged with a sickness that is called Al-Wahn even though they are great in number.
It was narrated by Thawban that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “The people (i.e. your enemies) will soon summon one another to attack you in the same way how people invite others to share their dish.” Someone asked: “Will that be because our number is small at that time?” He replied: “No, your number will be big at that time but you will be like scum and rubbish that are washed away by a torrent. Allah will take the fear of you from the breasts of your enemies and cast Al-Wahn into your hearts.” Then someone asked: “What is al-wahn? The Messenger of Allah (pbuh): He replied: “Love of the world and dislike of death.”
[Sunan Abi Dawud, no. 4297]
Al-Wahn can also be interpreted as intense love for power and worldly pleasures that knows no bounds where one is prepared to do anything to acquire and hoard it as if he/she will live forever. In the context of this write-up, the Al-Wahn sickness is best applied in reference to the evil Muslim leaders who betray the trust of their people and also to those who knowingly support them in spite of their evil deeds in exchange for temporal gains.
Until we realize this grave situation and do something about it, the Muslim ummah will forever be weak and trampled by the infidels who regard us a nuisance that need to exterminated in the pursuit of their sinister global agenda that is made possible and facilitated by subservient corrupt Muslims leaders and their lackeys.
There is no short term solution to this. The only way out is to have God-fearing and highly capable people as leaders of Muslim nations so that justice, peace and prosperity can be instituted and implemented to serve the ummah. When justice is upheld and more economic opportunities can be made available with equitable sharing, then the push factor for Muslims to leave their homeland can be mitigated.
This will of course take a long time to happen. But if nothing is being done to address this from now, then our ummah’s problem will never be solved. In fact, it will only get worse than it already is now.
May Allah grant us taufiq to overcome our ummah’s woeful state of affairs.
[Credit: Manan Razali
March 17, 2019]
ISIS leaders have called for extremists to take ‘revenge’ in the wake of the New Zealand mosque shootings.
The terror group’s spokesman, Abu Hassan al-Muhajir, is said to have issued the appeal in a 44-minute audio recording.
Dozens of worshippers were murdered when a terrorist went on a gun rampage through two mosques in the city of Christchurch on Friday. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, was charged with murder on Saturday.
According to the New York Times, Al-Muhajir broke six months of silence to call for revenge.
‘The scenes of the massacres in the two mosques should wake up those who were fooled, and should incite the supporters of the caliphate to avenge their religion,’ he said.
He compared the Christchurch slaughter to the battle raging over the terror group’s last remaining slither of territory in Syria – the village of Baghouz.
‘Here is Baghuz in Syria, where Muslims are burned to death and are bombed by all known and unknown weapons of mass destruction,’ he added.
The true identity of al-Muhajir, an invented name, is not known and it is understood that he has not appeared in any photographs or in ISIS propaganda videos.
The attacks in Christchurch left 50 dead and 50 more injured with nine of the wounded victims described as being in a critical condition.
Preparations were underway today to begin burials of victims after days of intense grieving.
Bodies of the victims of Friday’s attacks were being washed and prepared for burial in a Muslim ritual process, with teams of volunteers flown in from overseas to assist with the heavy workload.
‘We’ve been very conscious of the need to work sensitively with requirement of each family,’ Sarah Stuart-Black, Director for the Ministry of Civil, Defence & Emergency Management, said at a press conference in Christchurch.
Tarrant was remanded without a plea and is due back in court on April 5, where police said he was likely to face more charges.
The victims, killed at two mosques during Friday prayers by a gunman with semi-automatic rifles, were largely Muslim migrants, refugees and residents from countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Turkey, Kuwait, Somalia and others.
Appreciate that you made the effort to find out the timing of our noon prayer.
Appreciate that you learnt more about our religion to know that Fridays are the days the men go to the Mosques for their congregational prayers.
But I guess there were some things you, rather unfortunately, didn’t get to learn.
Perhaps you didn’t know that what you did made them Martyrs.
And how you have single-handedly raised the statuses of our brothers and sisters in the eyes of their beloved Creator with your actions. And how, through your actions, they will be raised as the most righteous and pious of Muslims.
Perhaps you didn’t know that doing what you did, at the time and place you chose, it actually meant that the last words that escaped their lips were probably words of remembrance and praise of Allah. Which is a noble end many Muslims could only dream of.
And perhaps you didn’t know, but what you did would almost guarantee them paradise.
Appreciate that you showed the world how Muslims welcome, with open arms, even people like yourself into our Mosques, which is our second home.
Appreciate you for showing that our mosques have no locks or gates, and are unguarded because everyone and anyone is welcome to be with us.
Appreciate you for allowing the world to see the powerful image of a man you injured, lying on back on the stretcher with his index finger raised high, as a declaration of his faith and complete trust in Allah.
Appreciate how you brought the Churches and communities together to stand with us Muslims.
Appreciate that you made countless New Zealanders come out of their homes to visit the mosques nearest to them with flowers and beautiful messages of peace and love.
You have broken many many hearts and you have made the world weep. You have left a huge void.
But what you also have done have brought us closer together. And it has strengthened our faith and resolve.
In the coming weeks, more people will turn up in the Mosques, a place you hate so much, fortified by the strength in their faith, and inspired by their fallen brothers and sisters.
In the coming weeks, more non Muslims will turn up at the gates of mosques with fresh flowers and beautifully handwritten notes. They may not have known where the mosques in their area was. But now, they do. All because of you.
You may have achieved your aim of intended destruction, but I guess you failed to incite hatred, fear and despair in all of us.
And while I understand that it may have been your objective, I hate to say that after all of that elaborate planning, and the perverse and wretched efforts on your part, you still failed to drive a divide among the the Muslims and non-Muslims in the world.
For that, I can’t say that I’m sorry.
Beautifully written by a Chinese revert sister. (It is written to the killer).
Days after the inconceivable act of terrorism in Christchurch, details about the victims are still emerging.
Friends and family have spoken to media around the world and paid tribute on social media to those murdered and injured in Friday’s shootings at two of the city’s mosques.
Here’s a list of what we know so far.
THE DEAD
Mucad Ibrahim
Mucad Ibrahim, 3
Three-year-old Mucad Ibrahim is thought to be the youngest victim.
The toddler had gone to the Al Noor Mosque on Deans Ave with his older brother, Abdi, and his father.
Mucad was lost in the melee, as Abdi fled for his life and his father pretended to be dead after being shot.
The family searched in vain for the toddler at Christchurch Hospital and later posted a photo of Mucad, smiling with Abdi, along with the caption: “Verily we belong to God and to Him we shall return. Will miss you dearly brother.”
Abdi Ibrahim described his little brother as “energetic” and “playful” and said he “liked to smile and laugh a lot”. He confessed he felt nothing but “hatred” for his brother’s killer.
Tariq Omar, 24
Omar’s father confirmed his death. According to CNN, Rosemary Omar dropped her son off at the mosque then drove round the back to find a parking space when she heard multiple gunshots. She drove back to the front and saw “lots of bodies outside”.
Abdullahi Dirie, 4
Four of Adan Ibrahin Dirie’s five children managed to escape, but the youngest, Abdullahi, was killed, said his uncle, Abdulrahman Hashi (60), a preacher at Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque in Minneapolis.
Adan Dirie also suffered gunshot wounds and was hospitalised.
The family fled Somalia in the mid-1990s as refugees and resettled in New Zealand.
“You cannot imagine how I feel,” Hashi said. “[Abdullahi] was the youngest in the family. This is a problem of extremism. Some people think the Muslims in their country are part of that, but these are innocent people.”
Sohail Shahid
Named dead by the Pakistani government.
Syed Jahandad Ali
Named dead by the Pakistani government.
Zeeshan Raza
Named dead by the Pakistani government. Son of Ghulam Hassain and Karam Bibi.
Ghulam Hussain
Named dead by the Pakistani government. Father of Zeeshan Raza, husband of Karam Bibi.
Karam Bibi
Named dead by the Pakistani government. Mother of Zeeshan Raza, wife of Ghulam Hussain.
Syed Areeb Ahmed
Syed Areeb Ahmed, 27
Ahmed moved from Karachi for a job in New Zealand 18 months ago to help support his family back home. One of his uncles, Muhammad Muzaffar Khan, described Ahmed (27) as deeply religious, praying five times a day.
Education was always his first priority, Khan said.
“He had done chartered accountancy from Pakistan. He was the only son to his parents. He had only one younger sister … He had only started his career.”
Ahmed worked for PwC, who posted a tribute to him on Facebook calling him a “loved and respected” member of their family.
“His smile, warmth, dedication, respect and humour will be deeply missed,” the post read.
Family and friends have gathered at Ahmed’s house, where his body is expected to arrive in the coming days.
The family was told Ahmed and a friend had arrived at the mosque just before the shooting began. His friend survived because he was parking the car.
Naeem Rashid
Naeem Rashid, 50
Rashid died at Christchurch Hospital after trying to wrestle a gun from the shooter at the Al Noor Mosque.
Originally from Abbottabad, where he worked in a bank, the 50-year-old became a teacher after moving to Christchurch.
His brother-in-law Dr Khursheed Alam confirmed to ARY News that he had been killed in the attack.
Alam told the BBC he was proud of Naeem Rashid’s bravery.
“I’ve heard from a few people there, there were few witnesses … they’ve said he saved a few lives there by trying to stop that guy. It’s a still a shock for us, whatever hero he becomes … it’s our pride now, but still the loss. It’s like cutting your limb off.”
Talha Rashid, 21
Talha Rashid was Naeem Rashid’s oldest son. Aged 11 when the family moved to New Zealand, he had got a new job and was hoping to get married soon, the BBC reported.
“A few days ago when I spoke to Naeem, he told me about his plans to come to Pakistan and get his son married,” said Talha Rashid’s uncle in Lahore.
“But now we are making arrangements to bring the dead bodies of both father and son back to Pakistan.”
Another of Naeem Rashid’s sons was being treated for his injuries.
Haroon Mahmood
Haroon Mahmood, 40
Mahmood leaves behind a wife and two children, aged 13 and 11.
Since completing his doctorate, Mahmood had been working as assistant academic director of Canterbury College, a private school for English language and business students.
He earned master’s degrees in finance from Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology in Pakistan and then worked in banking in Pakistan, according to his LinkedIn profile.
A tutor in economics and statistics at Lincoln University from 2014-16, he also lectured in business at Linguis International in Christchurch from 2014 until April 2017, and joined Canterbury College in May 2017.
Hussain Al-Umari, 36
Al-Umari’s mother wrote on social media that her son was killed.
His family and friends had been seeking information after al-Umari failed to return after going to Friday prayers at the Al Noor Mosque
His mother, an Iraqi calligraphy artist named Janna Ezzat, wrote on Facebook that her son had become a martyr.
“Our son was full of life and always put the needs of others in front of his own.”
12-year-old boy
Heba Sami, whose father was shot and injured protecting his children, told Gulf News that she lost five family friends, including a 12-year-old boy, in the attack.
Sayyad Milne
Sayyad Milne, 14
Sayyad’s father has spoken through tears of his “brave little soldier”, who died at the Al Noor Mosque.
The Year 10 Cashmere High School was at the mosque with his mother and friends. He attends every Friday.
His father John Milne told NZME through tears: “I’ve lost my little boy, he’s just turned 14. I’ll get it together again.
“I haven’t heard officially yet that he’s actually passed but I know he has because he was seen.
“[I’m] keeping it together and tears are helping. people are helping. Just by being here, it is helping.”
He said he was told Sayyad was lying on the floor in the mosque, bleeding from the lower parts of his body.
He said Sayyad was a keen football player.
“I remember him as my baby who i nearly lost when he was born. Such a struggle he’s had throughout all his life. he’s been unfairly treated but he’s risen above that and he’s very brave. A brave little soldier. It’s so hard … to see him just gunned down by someone who didn’t care about anyone or anything.
“I know where he is. I know he’s at peace.”
Milne said he has been carrying around a sign in Christchurch which reads “everyone love everyone”
The principal of Cashmere High was going to visit the family soon.
“The community is shattered,” Milne said.
“The Muslim community just don’t know what to do, where to go, what’s happened. They’re finding it very hard to accept but there is so much support from so many different people, people who aren’t Muslim. Support across the board.
“But we are the most beautiful city rising out of the dust. We will go forward. this won’t bring us down. It will make us even stronger. United we stand, divided we fall … the city is going to be a symbol of what it can do after it has been hit and hit and hit.”
Milne’s other son usually went to the mosque but was on a school trip. His twin sister was at school when it happened.
Khaled Mustafa
Khaled Mustafa and son Hamza, 16
Mustafa and his family thought they had found safety in New Zealand after fleeing the bloody chaos of Syria only a few months ago.
But it was in New Zealand that he was shot while praying with his two sons.
Hamza is missing feared dead and Zaid (13) is recovering from a six-hour operation on his wounds at Christchurch Hospital.
Ali Akil, a spokesman for Syrian Solidarity New Zealand, said Mustafa’s wife and daughter, who were not at the mosque on Friday, were in “total shock, devastation and horror”.
“They survived atrocities and arrived here in a safe haven only to be killed in the most atrocious way.
“They were just looking for a safe place. Unfortunately we can’t claim that New Zealand is a safe place anymore.”
Ansi Karippakulam Alibava
Five Indian citizens killed
India’s ambassador to New Zealand issued the following names of Indian citizens who were killed in the mosque attacks: Maheboob Khokhar, Ramiz Vora, Asif Vora, Ansi Alibava and Ozair Kadir.
Osama Adnan
Osama Adnan, 37
Adnan was of Palestinian origin and in the process of applying for New Zealand citizenship. He had previously lived in Egypt.
Junaid Ismail, 36
Ismail was reportedly with his twin brother when he was fatally shot.
The father-of-three was married and his mother also relied on him to care for her.
Atta Elayyan
Atta Elayyan, 33
The goalkeeper for the national and Canterbury men’s futsal teams, was shot as he prayed.
Born in Kuwait, he recently became a father and was a popular member of the Christchurch tech industry. He was a director and shareholder of a company called LWA Solutions.
Friend Kyle Wisnewski paid tribute on Twitter, writing: “My Heart is broken, a role model to myself and so many in the futsal community, a loving KIWI father, husband, friend and futsal player. You won’t ever meet a more down to earth, humbling person. May you Rest In Peace my friend.”
Husna Ahmed, 45
Farid Ahmed refuses to turn his back on his adopted home, despite losing his 45-year-old wife, Husna Ahmed, in the Al Noor Mmosque attack.
They had split up to go to the bathroom when it happened.
The gunman livestreamed the massacre on the internet, and Ahmed later saw a video of his wife being shot. A police officer confirmed she died.
Despite the horror, Ahmed — originally from Bangladesh — still considers New Zealand a great country.
“I believe that some people, purposely, they are trying to break down the harmony we have in New Zealand with the diversity. But they are not going to win. They are not going to win. We will be harmonious.”
Mohammad Imran Kahn, 47
Kahn owned two restaurants in Christchurch.
Outside one of them, the Indian Grill, yesterday, a handwritten cardboard sign said simply CLOSED. A handful of pink flowers were laid nearby.
The owner of the shop next door, Jaiman Patel (31) said he helped the staff with keys after the terrorist attack that claimed Khan’s life.
“He’s a really good guy. I tried to help him out with the setup and everything,” Patel said.
Khan had a son who was 10 or 11, Patel said.
“We are helping each other. It’s so sad.”
Amjad Hamid, 57
The heart doctor moved to New Zealand from Palestine because they wanted a better future.
Hamid hasn’t been seen since Friday and his family believe the Hawera Hospital doctor is dead.
His wife Hanan said she and her husband emigrated to Christchurch 23 years ago.
“It’s terrible … we were hoping to find a better future for us and for the children we were planning to have.”
She described her 57-year-old husband as a “very kind man”, but struggled to say more.
“It’s hard to talk about him.”
The elder of the couple’s two sons, 22-year-old Husam Hamid, said family had checked hospitals and with police but there had been no sign of his dad since the mass shootings began.
Amjad Hamid was known to go to the mosque to pray on Fridays.
“At first I thought he went to the Linwood mosque but he was most likely to have been in the Deans Ave mosque as he mostly goes to that one … we are presuming that he is dead, but we don’t know.”
According to his LinkedIn profile, Hamid was a consultant in cardiorespiratory integrated specialist services at Canterbury District Health Board for 20 years, but his son said he had recently taken up a role in cardiology at Hawera Hospital in south Taranaki.
He rotated three weeks working at the hospital with three weeks at his Christchurch home, Husam Hamid said.
Family had gathered to support each other, but it was tough.
“This is meant to be a safe country. New Zealand is changing forever.”
His mother was “struggling”, he said.
“My mum, she loves him so much.”
Youngest son, Mohammed Hamid (20) said they had checked everywhere but his dad couldn’t be found.
“We believe he’s dead.”
He told the Herald he only wanted to say one thing about his father and what had happened yesterday.
“I just really loved my dad.”
Musa Vali Suleman Patel, 60
Patel, a leader of the Fiji Muslim League, died at the Linwood Mosque.
He was visiting Christchurch with his wife.
Junaid Mortara, 35
Javed Dadabhai is mourning for his gentle cousin, believed to have died in the first mosque attack.
Mortara was the breadwinner of the family, supporting his mother, wife and their three children, ages 1 to 5.
He had inherited his father’s shop, which was covered in flowers on Saturday.
Mortara was an avid cricket fan, and would always send a sparring text with relatives over cricket matches when Canterbury faced Auckland.
Linda Armstrong, 65
A friend told the Herald that Armstrong died in the arms of a lady who was shot in the arm and survived at Linwood Mosque.
The friend said Armstrong always took people into her home and was kind.
“She was like a child about everything. She was so happy. She was always excited to do a good deed. She was happy to do it.”
She sponsored a boy from Bangladesh.
Hussein Moustafa, 70
Moustafa was originally from Egypt.
Haji-Daoud Nabi
Haji-Daoud Nabi, 71
Nabi moved his family to New Zealand in 1979 to escape the Soviet-Afghan war. Days before the shootings, his son, Omar, recalled his father speaking about the importance of unity.
“My father said how important it is to spread love and unity among each other and protect every member of the society we live in,” he told Al-Jazeera.
Omar Nabi told the news network his father ran an Afghan Association and helped refugees settle in their new country.
“He used to make them feel at home.”
Abdus Samad, 67
Originally from Madhur Hailla village in Bangladesh’s Kurigram district, Abdus Samad was among two people of Bangladeshi origin who died in the attacks, according to Sahahriar Alam, the country’s state minister for foreign affairs.
Born on February 23, 1953, Samad worked as a lecturer in Bangladesh’s Agricultural Development Corporation. He retired in December 2012 and moved to New Zealand with his wife and two sons the following year, according to a family member.
After obtaining citizenship in New Zealand, Samad worked as a visiting professor at the Lincoln University in Christchurch.
His brother, Habibur Rahman, told Al Jazeera that Samad used to lead prayers at Al Noor mosque.
“He was a very pious person”, Rahman said from Kurigram.
Matiullah Safi
The Afghan Embassy in Canberra said a man of Afghan origin, Matiullah Safi, died in the attack.
The statement on Facebook did not give additional details, but condemned the attack as “barbaric” and said three other Afghan nationals were wounded.
Lilik Abdul Hamid
Lilik Abdul Hamid
A popular and respected father-of-two who worked as an engineer for Air New Zealand is among those killed at the Deans Ave mosque.
The airline confirmed Lilik Abdul Hamid, an aircraft maintenance engineer in Christchurch, was in the mosque at the time of the attacks.
He was married with two children.
Air NZ chief executive officer Christopher Luxon said the airline was devastated.
“Lilik has been a valued part of our engineering team in Christchurch for 16 years, but he first got to know the team even earlier when he worked with our aircraft engineers in a previous role overseas,” he said.
“The friendships he made at that time led him to apply for a role in Air New Zealand and make the move to Christchurch. His loss will be deeply felt by the team.
“Lilik, his wife Nina and their children Zhania and Gerin are well known and loved by our close-knit team of engineers and their families, who are now doing all they can to support the family alongside our leadership team and the airline’s special assistance team.
“Our thoughts are with them and their family and friends as they come to terms with this terrible loss.”
Four Egyptians killed
Egyptian authorities released the names of four citizens killed. They were: Munir Suleiman and Ahmed Jamal al-Din Abdul Ghani, both 68, Ashraf Morsi and Ashraf al-Masri.
Tarek Elwassimy, Egypt’s ambassador to New Zealand, said the bodies will be transported back to Egypt or buried by Tuesday.
Ashraf Ali
Alie, originally from Fiji, is among the dead.
“We went to school together,” his friend Abdul Qayyum told Daily Mail Australia.
They were meant to go to a gathering in their home country in a few weeks.
Qayyum said he will always remember his quiet friend’s laugh.
“There was a game we used to play called Last Card.
“Every time I saw him I called him last card and when he saw me he called me last card.”
THE MISSING
Mojammel Hoq, 30
Hoq, from Bangladesh, is among the missing, a friend told the Herald.
He has been in Christchurch for over two years studying dentistry.
Abdelfattah Qasem, 59
The Muslim Association’s former secretary, who was born in Palestine, has not been seen since a gunman entered the Al Noor Mosque.
Zakaria Bhuiyan
Friends of Bhuiyan have been gathering outside cordons with photos of him pleading for information on his whereabouts.
Ali Elmadani, 66
Elmadani and his wife migrated from the United Arab Emirates in 1998.
The retired Christchurch engineer always told his children to be strong and patient, so that’s what they are trying to do after the tragedy, his daughter, Maha Elmadani, told Stuff.
“He considered New Zealand home and never thought something like this would happen here,” she said.
Her mother was “staying as strong as possible. My younger brother isn’t doing too well with the news.”
Kamel Darwish, 39
Zuhair Darwish was standing at the Deans Ave cordon by the Al Noor Mosque on Friday pleading for any information about his brother, father of three Kamel Darwish, who attended the mosque during the shooting.
He was seen saying to officers in TVNZ footage: “He’s been missing since 1.30 and we know nothing about it. I came to the mosque and they told me go to the hospital.
“We’ve been waiting at the hospital since then, nobody even at the hospital wants to give us the names, we don’t have any information, nobody tells us anything.”
Farhaj Ashan
Farhaj Ashan, 30
Ashan, 30, left the Christchurch home he shares with wife Insha Aziz, his 3-year-old daughter and 7-month-old son on Friday morning for prayer.
“I do not know where my son is,” his father Mohammad Sayeeduddin told the Herald from his home in Hyderabad, India.
“I have been in contact with his wife Insha in New Zealand since it happened and we don’t know anything.
“Please bring me good news on my son.”
Ashan is a software engineer who did his master’s degree at the University of Auckland in 2010 before settling in Christchurch.
Friends supporting Ashan’s wife at the couple’s Christchurch home said she was not accepting he was among the dead in the mosque.
INJURED
Alin Alsati, 4
A Jordanian man said his 4-year-old niece is fighting for her life after being wounded.
Sabri Daraghmeh said by phone that Alin remains “in the danger phase” and her father, Waseeim — Sabri’s brother — is in a stable condition.
Daraghmeh said Waseeim moved to New Zealand five years ago and described it as the “safest place one could ever live in.”
The Daraghmehs are of Palestinian origin, but have Jordanian citizenship.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said Saturday at least four Palestinians were killed, but acknowledged they could have been counted by Jordan or other countries.
Shihadeh Nasasrah, 63
Nasasrah spent terrifying minutes lying underneath two dying men as the gunman kept firing.
The assailant “would go out and bring more ammunition and resume shooting,” said Nasasrah, speaking by phone from Christchurch Hhospital where he was recovering from two shots to the leg.
“Every time he stopped, I thought he was gone. But he returned over and over again. I was afraid to leave because I didn’t know the safest way out. I died several times, not one time
Mohammed Elyan
The Jordanian, who is in his 60s, co-founded one of the mosques in 1993. His son, who is in his 30s, was also wounded, according to Muath Elyan, Mohammed’s brother.
Muath Elyan said his brother helped establish the mosque a year after arriving in New Zealand, where he teaches engineering at a university and runs a consultancy.
His brother last visited Jordan two years ago.
“He used to tell us life was good in New Zealand and its people are good and welcoming. He enjoyed freedom there and never complained about anything. I’m sure this bloody crime doesn’t represent the New Zealanders.”
Muhammad Amin Nasir, 67
Nasir and his son were just 200 metres from the Al Noor mosque when everything went wrong.
A car driving by stopped suddenly and a man leaned out the window pointing a gun at them.
They ran but Muhammad Nasir could not keep up with his 35-year-old son. He sustained critical injuries.
Nasir, who lived in Pakistan, was on the third week of a visit to his son.
Adeeb Sami, 52
Sami was shot in the back as he dove to protect his sons, Abdullah (29) and Ali (23) Gulf News reported.
“My dad is a real hero. He got shot in the back near his spine in an attempt to shield my brothers but he didn’t let anything happen to them,” Adeeb’s daughter, Heba, 30, said.
Sami, described by Gulf News as a Dubai-based New Zealander of Iraqi origin, underwent surgery to remove the bullet and his daughter said he’s recovering.
Zulfirman Syah
Zulfirman Syah and son Averroes
Alta Marie said her husband Zulfirman Syah shielded their son, Averroes, during the attack at Linwood Masjid.
Syah’s bravery meant he was hit with multiple bullets and sustained much more complex injuries than their son Averroes, she said.
Late last night, in a social media post, she wrote: “He is in stable condition following the extensive exploratory and reconstructive surgery he had earlier today. While he is still in the intensive care unit at this stage, he will be moved to the general ward whenever it is deemed appropriate (likely in the next day or so).
“While the road to recovery will be long, his condition has only improved since he arrived at the hospital yesterday. This afternoon he had a visit from the Indonesian ambassador, which lifted his spirits.
“Averroes (our son) sustained minor injuries and had surgery this morning to extract some shrapnel while checking for internal injuries. He is recovering nicely and has been cheerful while keeping the staff on the children’s ward entertained with his talkative and energetic nature.
“I am grateful that my family members are alive, as many lives were lost during these attacks. Please keep those people in your thoughts and prayers.”
The family moved to Christchurch two months ago.
Dr Mohammad Alayan
The Dunedin early childhood centre owner was critically injured in the Christchurch terror attack which left his son dead.
Dr Mohammad Alayan, who owns An-Nur Early Childhood Education and Care Centre in South Dunedin, was critically injured in the attack, said Otago Muslim Association former chairman Steve Johnston.
He was with his son Atta Elayyan, a goalkeeper for the national and Canterbury men’s futsal teams in Christchurch, who was shot and killed as he prayed in the Masjid Al Noor Mosque.
Johnston said, as of last night, Dr Alayan was out of ICU.
In the wake of the government’s order to block a black metal band from playing here (just hours before the concert was due to start), Minister of Home Affairs K Shanmugam oddly dragged in racial issues.
In a speech at an appreciation lunch for Malay-Muslim anti-drug campaigners on Saturday, the minister honed in on a photograph taken at a meet-and-greet session between Swedish band Watain and their fans. The picture depicted Watain and their fans showing ‘the middle finger’ — a defiant (and very metal) response to the government’s decision to cancel the concert on grounds of preserving “public order”.
According to Channel NewsAsia, Shanmugam detailed how the ministry would be unable to let the concert go ahead, given how Watain’s lyrical content held anti-Christian themes. Then he went into length about the photograph, harping on how it showed “primarily Malay young men”.
“You have a group of Malay young men, showing the one-finger sign, supporting the group,” CNA quoted the minister.
“If a group of Chinese went and showed the finger sign and said that we should allow it – how would you all have felt? It is the same.”
Mentioning that the photo has gone viral “across the Christian community”, Minister Shanmugam stated that it was crucial to show that the picture does not represent what the Muslim community thinks.
“They won’t realize that this a small group of Malays, but they may think, is this what Muslims think of us? So now we have to send the message that this is not what the Muslim community thinks. These are black metal group supporters, they are not the mainstream community.”
In conversations with Christian leaders, Shanmugam pointed out how the leaders would oftentimes draw comparisons to how tough the government would quash anti-Islam sentiment, such as banning the Salman Rushdie book The Satanic Verses in Singapore.
“(The leaders) said what these people (Watain) are saying is far worse, it is a hundred times worse about Christianity – how come you would allow that?” said Shanmugam to The Straits Times.
“They said you treat the Muslim community differently than the Christian community.”
Shanmugam acknowledged there was “some truth” to what the leaders said but said it was not fully true “but it is an approach”.
He also pointed out to Channel NewsAsia that not all bands would be banned because they spoke about Christianity.
It led to confusion among the Muslim community. How did this become an issue that involves the Muslim community? Is the minister trying to be a “hero” that saved the Muslims from depicting a bad, intolerant stand against Christians? What has the brown-skinned fans in the photo got to do with Malays in general, or worse representing what the Muslim community in Singapore thinks about the Christians. Is it because there is a stereotype about Malays in Singapore where they are called Mat Rockers? And who are these brown-skinned fans in the viral photo? Are they even Malay/Muslims from Singapore?
What was the Minister thinking by saying all this?
Source: Coconut, Yahoo, The Straits Times and Channel NewsAsia
