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New Zealanders gather to weep, sing and pray for the victims of our nation’s darkest day
On a hot Sunday afternoon, hundreds of people poured into Auckland’s Sacred Heart Church in a united front against the Christchurch terror attacks.
Everyone who was there, Muslims, Asians, Europeans, Ma¯ori, and Pacific Islanders put their differences aside to pay their respects.
It wasn’t only open to Christians and Catholics, Muslims who worship directly across the road at Ponsonby Mosque were invited as special guests.
“Over the years there has been a very warm relationship between the two communities,” Catholic Diocese of Auckland spokeswoman Lyndsay Freer said.
“The Islamic people, the Muslim people as well as we Christians are people of faith, even though it’s a different kind of faith we share a common belief in God.
“Therefore, a common faith that we can share . . . that’s why were are standing together as it were in solidarity.”
The pavement outside the mosque was overrun with flowers and handwritten messages of love, despair and calls for peace in the wake of New Zealand’s worst massacre.
Fifty people have died following the attack on two of Christchurch’s city mosques on Friday afternoon, all were there to worship their God.
Standing in solidarity at Sacred Heart Church yesterday, everyone stood together, wept together, prayer together and sung together.
Later in the day there were similar scenes of united grief as thousands of people in Wellington turned out at Basin Reserve for another vigil.
Natasha Hargreaves, 15, said she was hit “pretty hard” by news of the attacks.
“I’m here supporting the families. It’s really important we love each other no matter what religion we are from.”
Many of those at the event wore white and donation buckets were filled with change which will be directly given to the victims.
People brought tea lights, wrote messages in books and left flowers.
“Hate will never win — Kia Kaha Christchurch,” said the scoreboard at the reserve.
Ibrahim Omer, chairman of the Changemakers Refugee Forum, said he was a proud Muslim and a proud Kiwi.
He came to New Zealand as a refugee 10 years ago and was “welcomed with open arms”.
“I was so happy that I made that decision, and that’s no different today.” Gayaal Iddamalgoda from the Migrant and Refugee Rights Campaign said he went to the vigil and resolved to tell those gathered “the truth as I see it”.
“Why is our secret service busy surveying our innocent Muslim neighbours and not the extremists who sought to victimise them?
“I want answers, I want accountability, and I want something to change, but right now while I wait for those answers, I want to do something to cancel out the hateful, paranoid vision of these extremists and offer instead a vision of hope.”
Dame Patsy Reddy addressed the crowd, highlighting the brave emergency services in Christchurch for their efforts.
She said everyone there was feeling the same sorrow during the difficult time, adding it was not an act we can allow the nation to be defined by.
“Tonight, we cherish the memory of those who died and stand in solidarity with their loved ones,” Reddy said.
“We resolve to confront extremism, whenever and wherever we see it.
“For all of us here . . . this is our moment to show that tolerance, mutual respect and love can and will prevail.”