49 killed in NZ mosque shootings

CHRISTCHURCH Shooter goes on rampage at 2 mosques; dozens injured ‘DARKEST DAYS’ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern calls it a terror attack DEADLY Australian national targeted Friday prayers, nine Indians missing

CHRISTCHURCH (NEW ZEALAND): We were not chosen for this act of violence because we condone racism, because we are an enclave for extremism. We were chosen for the very fact that we are none of those things.

A “right-wing extremist” armed with semi-automatic weapons rampaged through two mosques in the quiet New Zealand city of Christchurch during afternoon prayers Friday, killing 49 worshippers and wounding dozens more.

The attack, thought to be the deadliest against Muslims in the West in modern times, was immediately dubbed terrorism by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, as she guided a shocked nation on one of its “darkest days.”

At least nine people of Indian nationality or Indian origin are believed to be missing in Christchurch, Indian high commissioner to New Zealand Sanjiv Kohli tweeted on Friday, citing updates received from multiple sources.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the Indian mission in New Zealand is in touch with local authorities to find out more details. He said it is a “sensitive matter” and therefore more details can’t be shared.

The attacker live-streamed footage of him going room-toroom, victim to victim, shooting the wounded from close range as they struggled to crawl away.

A 28-year-old Australian-born man has been arrested and charged with murder.

He is set to appear at the Christchurch district court early Saturday. Two other men remain in custody, although their link to the attack is unknown.

The chief suspect allegedly published a racist “manifesto” on social media before the attack, featuring conspiracy theories about Europeans being displaced, and details of two years of preparation and radicalisation leading up to the shootings.

“It is clear that this can now only be described as a terrorist attack,” said Ardern. “From what we know, it does appear to have JACINDA ARDERN, New Zealand PM

I blame these increasing terror attacks on the current Islamophobia post-9/11 where Islam & 1.3 bn Muslims have collectively been blamed for any act of terror by a Muslim