‘We are one,’ says Ardern, as country joins call to prayer

EXACTLY a week after a gunman began to massacre people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand yesterday observed a two-minute silence to remember the 50 victims.

At 1.32pm, the nation came together to observe the Muslim call to prayer, which was sounded around the country – including on national radio and television.

It was followed by ceremonies attended by tens of thousands of people who paid tribute to the victims and heard calls for unity.

At Hagley Park, near the Al Noor mosque, where 42 people died, Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s prime minister, told a crowd of thousands: “New Zealand mourns with you. We are one.”

Imam Gamal Fouda said: “We are broken-hearted, but we are not broken. We are alive, we are together … determined to not let anyone divide us.

“To the people of New Zealand, thank you for your peace. Thank you for your haka. Thank you for your flowers. Thank you for your love and compassion.”

The Press of New Zealand carried a front page saying “Salam, peace” in English and Arabic, and The Dominion Post listed the names of the victims, alongside the words: “1.32pm – Today we remember”.

After the Al Noor ceremony, mourners gathered at a burial service for 26 of the victims, including three-year-old Mucaad Ibrahim, the youngest to die.

The first to be buried was Naeem Rashid, a 50-year-old who died trying to tackle Australian white supremacist gunman Brenton Tarrant, 28, near the entrance of the Al Noor mosque. His 21-year-old son Talha was also killed.

New Zealand’s terror alert level remains high, despite authorities being confident that the killer acted alone.

Ms Ardern has announced a ban on military-style semi-automatic weapons and on the parts and ammunition used in the attack, before a wider overhaul of gun laws over the coming weeks.