Positivity in wake of tragedy
The most important job New Zealanders and people worldwide have right now is educating their children about race and religion to ensure hatred has no place in the equation, Muslim leaders say.
Members of Eastern Southland’s Muslim community opened the doors of the Mataura Masjid (mosque) to deliver a message of positivity.
Imam Hajizamberi Bin Matyunus shook his head in despair when talking about his family members and friends who were killed in the Christchurch terrorist attack.
‘‘There are too many,’’ he said. ‘‘Too many.’’
Despite his sorrow, Matyunus said he had also found positivity in the aftermath.
‘‘I am proud of the people in this community, from Gore, Wyndham, that have come to me so I can share my heart and help my brothers. It has made my heart very happy.
‘‘This country is paradise. This is the place we call home. We have come here for the reason that the people of New Zealand are very kind. For this to happen here is amazing. Not just one or two people, but 50 people. It is unbelievable.’’
Abdul Halim Abdul Karim said if there was a silver lining, it would be experiencing love and receiving compassion and kindness from people in the community since the shootings.
‘‘The more important job you have to do is to tell your children about this, because we have to educate them so that this kind of hatred is not instilled to them.
‘‘I say to my children, ‘You look beyond your skin, look at your heart,’ because you can’t change your skin colour, but I can change my heart,’’ he said.
He has found some comfort in the fact that the victims died while praying.
‘‘Our belief is that you are granted paradise, because while you are doing your worship in a holy place, the house of God – that’s what Muslims are looking for. At the same time we are sad about it.’’
Matyunus became emotional when talking about the shootings at the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, where he has prayed in the past.
‘‘All the people are praying. They not bring knives, not bring guns, they are innocent … It’s not fair. Not fair.’’
He will travel to Christchurch with members of his community today to attend funerals.
Ariffin Abidin was born in Malaysia, but he calls New Zealand home.
‘‘This was not just Muslim to me. It [the shooting] could happen to any community,’’ he said.
‘‘Our job now is to say to people, ‘Look, it has already happened – you don’t need to be scared.’ It happened here unfortunately in the safest mosques in the world.’’
It was great to see people all over the country coming to mosques and learning about Islam, he said.
‘‘People from all over the walks of life, different skin colour – chocolate, white – they are getting together because of this and that is good for humanity.’’