People answer the call to prayer

The imam of Christchurch’s Masjid Al Noor has called for the end of ‘‘hate speech and the politics of fear’’ in an impassioned speech one week since 50 people were killed in terror attacks.

‘‘Islamophobia is real ... we call on governments across the world, including New Zealand, to bring an end to hate speech and the politics of fear,’’ Imam Gamal Fouda said.

The comments were made in a speech to about 20,000 people gathered in Christchurch’s Hagley Park opposite the Masjid Al Noor for the first Friday prayers since the deadly attacks that killed 50 people.

Christchurch City Council estimated about 5000 Muslim worshippers and 15,000 other members of the community attended the ceremony.

Many non-Muslim women in the crowd donned head scarves in a show of solidarity with the Muslim community.

Armed police were dotted among the crowd providing a highly visible security presence.

The ceremony began with a mournful call to prayer by Linwood Mosque Imam Lateef Alabi at 1.30pm.

Fouda followed with prayers and a speech in which he said the 50 victims of the attack had not died in vain.

They were ‘‘not just martyrs of Islam, they are martyrs of this nation New Zealand’’.

‘‘We are here in our hundreds and thousands, unified for one purpose – that hate will be undone,’’ he said.

The imam thanked Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the community and those who ‘‘put their life on the line’’ to help victims.

One Muslim attendee, Paramjeet Kaur, said it was so overwhelming to see so many women wearing headscarves.

‘‘You can not tell the difference with all the headscarves. Who is who? We are all the same and it’s really nice.’’

A group of five childhood friends speaking after the prayer said they had never seen Muslims being so accepted into the community. Aaliyah Shire, 17, who lost her grandfather in the attacks, said people had been scared after the shooting, but not any more.

‘‘It just shows how much they care.’’

Ikran Dahir, 19, originally from Somalia, said: ‘‘Our hearts were broken and now our hearts are full.’’

South Intermediate School student Abdul-Muizz Iposu needed some convincing to attend the call to prayer but afterwards said he was glad he came. ‘‘I didn’t want to come because I was scared.’’

The 12-year-old’s father, Shamsideen Iposu, was in Al Noor Mosque a week ago when the terror attack took place. Iposu managed to escape bullets, running out a side door and scaling a neighbour’s fence.

Muizz was in lockdown at school without his phone but discovered the horrific news when he looked it up on a computer in his technology class. Knowing his father, a daily visitor to the mosque, would have been there, Muizz burst into tears.

He spent the next hour not knowing if his father was alive or dead.

Yesterday he did not want to go to the call to prayer but changed his mind after learning how many people were expected.