Pm meets families of March 15 victims
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visited a Fijian mosque yesterday to pay tribute to three Fijian Muslims who died in the March 15 attack, promising she was doing all she could to stop a repeat of the Christchurch tragedy.
Ardern dedicated a plaque to the three Fijian men who died in the terror attack, where 51 Muslims were killed in two mosques.
Those three were Imam Hafiz Musa Patel, Ashraf Ali Razak, and Ashraf Ali.
Patel was the head imam of the Lautoka Jame Masjid Mosque, not far from Nadi, for three decades, and had been about to retire. He had visited Christchurch on his way to his family in Brisbane.
Ardern spoke briefly with the families of the men who died, including Patel’s widow, whom she had briefly met in the hours after the attack.
‘‘I still remember talking with you Mrs Patel as you desperately looked for your husband. I remember you retracing his steps and feeling pained to leave you with the Red Cross. In your darkest of hours I can tell you I will never forget your grief,’’ Ardern said.
Ardern told media Mrs Patel was looking to find a Heather from Papanui who helped by driving her around Christchurch looking for her husband.
‘‘She just told me she asked Heather to drive her around until she found a crowd. That is where I found Mrs Patel. To Heather from
Papanui – thank you for embodying the New Zealand spirit of kindness and generosity in the moments after the attack.’’
Ardern told Razak’s family that they now had a home in New Zealand.
‘‘Please know that New Zealand now carries him in your hearts and that you have a home in New Zealand now too.’’
Mohammed Iftikar Ali, Razak’s grandson, travelled from Suva for the unveiling of the plaque.
Ali said Ardern’s visit comforted him.
‘‘‘ It’s really comforting for us that she’s here. We really appreciate it.’’
Ardern said unveiling the plaque was a sombre moment.
‘‘That’s the kind of thing you hope you never have to unveil – a memorial in another country to loss that was experienced in New Zealand.’’
She said in a speech that New Zealand was doing all it could to counter violent extremism – but could not do it alone.
New Zealand was committed to eradicating the underlying drivers and ideologies of such cowardly attacks.
It was also committed to ‘‘promoting the values that Fiji and New Zealand share – those of inclusion and diversity, of kindness and compassion.’’
Ardern was travelling on to Sydney last night before heading back to New Zealand today.