MASSACRE VICTIM’S HUSBAND REVEALS: ‘I FORGIVE HIM’

A WHEELCHAIR-bound man whose wife was murdered while shielding him in the Christchurch massacre yesterday said he forgave the gunman.

In a remarkable show of strength, Farid Ahmed said he did not, and could not, hate 28year-old Brenton Tarrant, who has been charged with carrying out the terrorist act.

“I was asked ‘how do you feel about the person who killed your wife?’ and I said I love that person because he is a human, a brother of mine,” Mr Ahmed told the New Zealand

Herald.

His wife, Husna Ahmed, 45, was shot in the back while shielding him in the Al Noor Mosque on Friday, but Mr Ahmed said he could not hold a grudge against the killer.

“I do not support what he did … he got it wrong,” he said.

“But maybe he was hurt, maybe something happened to him in his life … but the bottom line is, he is a brother of mine.

“I have forgiven him and I am sure if my wife was alive she would have done the same thing. I hold no grudge.”

The community of Christchurch have continued to embrace the families of the victims in the wake of the shocking attack, which has claimed 50 lives. A sea of condolence flowers was created and high school students performed a haka designed to reassure Muslims they belonged in New Zealand.

Mele Peseta, 17, led Christchurch Girls High School choir in a song of hope and faith E tora nga mea, but was soon overcome with emotion as women from the grieving Muslim community stepped forward to hug the girls as they sang.

As families awaited news on when the bodies of all 50 victims would finally be released, it was revealed by witnesses that accused killer Tarrant did not enter the female section at the rear of Al Noor Mosque, which was full of women and children, averting an even greater toll.

“The killer didn’t find the kids with their mums,” said one man.

A father who also threw himself on top of his loved ones as the bullets flew during the massacre is now expected to survive, along with his twoyear-old son.

Zulfirman Syah had reconstructive surgery for multiple bullet wounds.

His son Averroes suffered minor injuries, including a gunshot wound to the leg and backside, and had surgery to remove shrapnel.

Overall, people are having trouble sleeping and finding it hard to let their guard down.

Ahmad Feroz, whose uncle survived being shot twice in the back and once in the leg, said the community’s children were traumatised and having trouble understanding that the worst was over.

“The kids are really upset,” Ahmad said. “One came up to me yesterday and asked me to please to take off my scarf, saying I would get shot for wearing it.”

Heartbroken families are waiting anxiously to lay their loved ones to rest in accordance with the Muslim custom of burying the deceased as quickly as possible.

There was some movement when the first of the bodies was released from the hospital morgue and taken to a second undisclosed location, where cleansing rituals could be performed. But many relatives remained uncertain of the process. One distressed young Somali man said he needed to know.

“Dad was 75,” he said. “I just want to bury him. That’s what we all want.”

Mohammad Mallouk, originally from Syria but a longtime resident of Auckland, said people understood that authorities needed to complete identifications.

This was especially so given that, according to relatives, the killer had deliberately shot people in the head.

“Our custom is to bury people as quickly as possible, but we have to respect the police,” he said.

“We have no complaints. The authorities and the people of New Zealand have done more than could have been expected. This guy wanted to divide us, but he has put us together.”