‘We are one’: New Zealand prays

New Zealanders observed the Muslim call to prayer yesterday in reflecting on the moment one week ago when 50 worshippers at two Christchurch mosques were slain – an act an imam told the crowd of thousands had left the country broken-hearted, but not broken.

In a day without precedent, people across New Zealand listened to the call to prayer on live broadcasts. Thousands, including prime minister Jacinda Ardern, gathered in Hagley Park opposite the Al Noor mosque where 42 people died. “New Zealand mourns with you – we are one,” Ms Ardern said.

The call to prayer was observed at 1:30pm (12:30am GMT) and followed by two minutes of silence. Hundreds of Muslim men at the park sat in socks or bare feet.

One man in the front row was in a Christchurch Hospital wheelchair.

The Al Noor mosque’s imam, Gamal Fouda, thanked New Zealanders for their support.

“This terrorist sought to tear our nation apart with an evil ideology… but instead we have shown that New Zealand is unbreakable,” he said, as the crowd the city estimated at 20,000 people erupted with applause.

A police officer wearing a headscarf stands guard during a funeral ceremony at the Memorial Park in Christchurch

“We are broken-hearted, but we are not broken. We are alive. We are together. We are determined to not let anyone divide us.”

Later in the day, a mass funeral was held to bury 26 of the victims at a cemetery

where more than a dozen have already been laid to rest.

Family members took turns passing around shovels and wheelbarrows to bury their loved ones..