I will never utter the killer’s name: Ardern

in emotional speech to parliament, ardern vows to stand by muslim community

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday praised the bravery of mosque worshippers as a lone gunman massacred their friends and family, saying the nation stood with its grieving Muslim community in this “darkest of days”.

As preparations for the first burials were underway for the 50 people killed last Friday in the Christchurch mosques mass shooting, Ardern singled out three worshippers, including one of the first killed in the attack.

Hati Mohammed Daoud Nabi, 71, opened the door to Al Noor Mosque. Ardern said he “uttered the words ‘Hello brother, welcome’. His final words”.

“Of course, he had no idea of the hate that sat behind the door, but his welcome tells us so much — that he was a member of a faith that welcomed all its members, that showed openness, and care,” she told parliament. Ardern, who has been widely praised for her compassionate and decisive handling of the tragedy, said she never anticipated having to voice the grief of a nation.

Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected White supremacist who was living in Dunedin, on New Zealand’s South Island, was charged with murder on Saturday. He was remanded without a plea and is due back in court on April 5, when police said he was likely to face more charges.

“The families of the fallen will have justice,” said Ardern, adding she would never mention the alleged gunman’s name. “He may have sought notoriety, but we in New Zealand will give him nothing. Not even his name.”

She ended her speech with the Arabic greeting meaning “Peace be upon you”.

The victims, killed at two mosques during Friday prayers, were largely Muslim migrants, refugees and residents from countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Turkey, Kuwait, Somalia and others.

Fifty people were wounded and 30 of them are in the Christchurch Hospital, authorities said. Nine of them are in a critical condition. One four-yearold child was transferred to a hospital in Auckland in a critical condition.

Gun law debate rages

The gunman used a semi-automatic AR-15 during the mosque shootings, police said.

Ardern has said she supports a ban on semi-automatic weapons and that cabinet has made inprinciple decisions to change gun laws which she will announce next Monday. “Part of ensuring the safety of New Zealanders must include a frank examination of our gun laws,” she said.

While some New Zealanders have voluntarily surrendered guns, others have been buying more to beat the ban. —

1 A Muslim man is greeted by a local woman across the road from Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch on Tuesday

5 A poster with messages of support is seen at a memorial site at an Islamic Centre in Kilbirnie, Wellington

2 New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern meets Muslim community leaders after the parliament session in Wellington

3 A poster hangs at a memorial site for victims of Friday’s shooting, in front of Christchurch Botanic Gardens

6 Fifty pairs of painted white shoes are laid out at All Souls Church in memory of the victims PHOTO CREDIT: AFP, REUTERS, AP

4 Abdul Iskandar, a Malaysian Royal Navy sailor, who said he was supposed to be at Al Noor Mosque on the day of the shooting, is comforted as he weeps at the memorial site