Attack brings communities together
A Muslim leader has described the coming together of communities after the Christchurch shooting as being like a jacket getting ‘‘zipped up’’.
At the Te Raranga (combined Christchurch Christian churches) service of prayer and hope at Latimer Square in Christchurch last night, New Zealand Muslim Association adviser Muhammed Shaakir Ismail said the terror attack had only made communities closer.
‘‘We were like two flaps, like two sides of a jacket, but all this incident has done now for us is that we have zipped up the jacket and now we have integrated all together,’’ said Ismail, who is also an imam at Auckland’s Avondale Islamic Centre.
‘‘I use the jacket specifically because we are not two sides of a shirt, a shirt is one above the other, but the jacket is equal on each side.
‘‘This event, this atrocious act, has come as a counter to [the alleged gunman] and to the world out there who may be following him, that we have become even closer to one another, than we ever were before.’’
Hundreds of people attended the service, organised for the Muslim community by Christian churches in Christchurch, after 50 people were killed and dozens injured at two city mosques last Friday.
Linwood Masjid imam Ibrahim Abdelhalim also spoke at the service and thanked all who attended. ‘‘I say from my deep heart on behalf of our community, thank you so much for your great solidarity for our Muslim community. We love all of you. We are keen to keep this country safe from anything happening.’’ Catholic diocese of Christchurch bishop Paul Martin delivered a homily, or sermon, at last night’s service.
‘‘We are changed but in so many moments in the past week, and in this outpouring today of love and support for our Muslim brothers and sisters, we see that already hope is breaking through and in the end love will prevail. ‘‘We are now together taking positive action to turn this pain and suffering to good as we respond, not with hate and violence – which would be a logical response – but with love, which is the most powerful agent of change in history.’’
The Anglican dean of Christchurch,, Lawrence Kimberley told Stuff why the event was held.
‘‘I thought it was very important that there was a clear statement from the Christian churches that says we’re standing in solidarity and love with our Muslim brothers and sisters.’’
Kimberley said he would like to be part of a delegation with other Christian leaders to meet with Muslim leaders to formally give their condolences.
‘‘[We’ll] see if there’s any ways we can assist practically and, in the long term, to build relationships of trust between us and a deepening of understanding between the two faiths.’’