A dreadful event in Christchurch

I am staying near Christchurch at the moment visiting my son and family.
My dil and I were at a sewing shop on the outskirts at the time but unaware of the disaster till my dil phone went while we were having afternoon tea before picking my eldest dgd up from her little independent school. Luckily her school wasn’t on lock down and we brought her home avoiding the university with armed guards near where we are staying. My son was in Dunedin and had his flight home cancelled but he got on a very early flight this morning. He works in the city centre and at the uni. Very somber feel with people wearing red hearts today. A tragic incident to finish our 10 week stay on as we fly home Tuesday.

Thanks so much for all your kind thoughts. We never dreamed terrorism would come to New Zealand. Surely Christchurch has had enough sorrow after the huge earthquakes and now this. I lived in Christchurch for 10 years before the earthquakes and it was just so beautiful. Not now though and especially after this latest disaster to fall on them. So glad I am in Auckland. Libbyw

My extended family/relations live in Auckland and mum's half-brother is buried at the North Shore Memorial Park.

Aw, I hope that woman who was interviewed is alright, she'll be in shock. It's the 66 year old who was helping the injured, a brave woman.

Anniebach whilst I deplore what has happened, I have visited NZ 4 times and have always thought that it was the least racist country I have ever been to.

The overwhelming feelings here are profound sorrow and shame.

We have very little hate crime in New Zealand, we are not that kind of people or country.

Yes, there is racism from individuals and you can hear bigotry on talk-back radio, but in general, New Zealand IS a peaceful place and Maori are not regarded by most Kiwis as second class citizens.

I admit that is certainly how they were viewed by government but so much has changed over the past 20 years.

As many Gnetters know I have been part of Maori society for over 30 years and applaud the progress this country has made to try and equalise things. I don't think truly equality is ever possible anywhere but at least we are working hard towards it.

I have close family friends in Christchurch and as the news came through, one of the girls was at my home and almost collapsed when she thought her sisters might be at the mosque. As it is, they are safe but of course the family know many of the dead and injured.

The outpouring of support for the Muslim community, the utter rejection of violence and the feelings of shame across Aotearoa, tell you how we really feel.

I hope its acceptable to add a little to the last post. I want you all to know just how we feel here.

The message is from a local, Maori owned funeral home.

Their sentiments reflect how all New Zealand thinks and feel. I have edited it slightly.

Whanau = family. Whare=home. karakia = prayer

Tena koe Whanau, as with you all we wake this morning with heavy hearts and feelings of disbelief, sorrow and profound sadness.

We cannot process and verbalise the sorrow and heartfelt love we have for our Muslim brothers and sisters at this time. This was their home, they are us.... this is not NZ and we stand with all of the whanau and communities involved.

The helplessness we feel as a whanau this morning is profound and like everyone we want to do what we can to provide some type of support to this awful tragedy.

Tonight at 7.00pm we will be opening all of our chapels on all sites, Whangarei, Auckland and Wellington and invite you all to join us in paying tribute to those who have lost their lives and whanau members.

Let’s all get together and share this time with our love, waiata and solidarity. Kapa haka, bring your waiata, bring the walls down with haka and make our own stand against this evil and show these whanau that they are loved.

We will be reaching out to our Muslim whanau in all 3 areas and inviting them to join us tonight but this invitation will be extended to them for any time that they need somewhere to go for karakia.
Our whare is their whare for as long as it is needed

It will be 6am for you when we meet but the services will continue for several hours. Pray with us if you are so inclined. Nga mihi ki a koutou katoa.

Well said BradfordLass72 I hope your family is okay in spite of their grief. I think we are all horrified and deeply distressed. I have simply not met any Muslim families where I live and in my everyday life, except perhaps in passing, chatting over goods in a shop. That does not mean I am not terribly disturbed and disgusted by this horrific event. I am not sure what meetings/invitations may be put in place where I live on the South Island, but will find out and attend if I can. After all, we are all whanau.

Everywhere and everyone we need to acknowledge that we are one people with one world to care for. What is so difficult about this? We will all have different views about life and that is OK. But we are ONE.

My heart bleeds for those who have lost loved ones and as an Aussie my heart bleeds for our dear neighbours acosss the Tasman Sea.

Apricity you are right WE ARE ONE and we all need to put our differences aside and learn to love more and hate less
How can one man be so damaged that he hates all people from another culture so much What have they ever done to him There has not even been (that I ve heard of) problems between locals and Muslims or refugees in NZ
NZ has such a small population in a big space and ‘outsiders’ seem to be easily absorbed The dead come from many different countries
Why are we hearing nothing about his accomplices I heard on the news this morning that one may be accused of hate crime with no jail sentence Can that really be true ?

Please let the hatred in the world stop

And I have to add my admiration and deep respect for the NZ Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, as an outdtanding and inspirational national leader. Wise, calm, considered and compassionate she is an exemplar to all countries not least my own. Australia has had the most appalling lot of misbegotten incompetents and vainglorious fools over the last few years all pretending to be leaders. People like Jacinda Ardern inspire me with hope for the future. My heart is with our Kiwi cousins at this terrible time.

Shocked and desperately sad for all those effected by this tragic event.

Our local Imam spoke yesterday and when asked if he would be increasing security around his mosque said no he would not. His door is always open to anyone in need of food, drink or shelter. We live in a very peaceful, tolerant and uneventful town and long may it continue. I can’t help but worry that this was probably how the people in the Christchurch mosque felt too.

Apologies but wanted to add that he did mention his worry that there may be repercussions around the world. “An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind” seems very relevant.

I totally agree Apricity. Jacinda Ardern is a new breed of politicians we can only hope for here. I was also impressed with the Mayor of Christchurch. These two women have my utter respect.

Well said, apricity.

Australia has lost its way. A bit like here with not a decent politician between them.

Yet NZ has got the youngest leader that's ever been who has thrown herself into her role with gusto, even after giving birth last year. Proof enough that she has a genuine interest in her job and also her people.

Why oh why can't we have her like here ? People like her make such a huge difference to a country. Jacinda is a people leader and I have great admiration for her.

So very sad and shocked to hear of another mass killing.I can’t imagine how traumatic it must be for those innocent people whe are caught up in this.

Jacinda Arden New Zealand’s Labour Prime Minister is very popular even in Australia. She is going to toughen up New Zealand’s gun laws.

So sad that any country has to have gun laws.
When it was broadcast that this applied to NZ now it's become a very sad time to a country that has enjoyed living with peace.

BradfordLass72 how awful for you if you know people caught up in these killings.
Nowhere is safe from these types of people sadly.

Yes, these right wing, anti Muslim are to be condemned. They are recruited and radicalised just as other terrorists are via websites that spread their poison and misinformation.

I do hope the ban on semi-automatic weapons goes through and the gun lobby don’t hijack it. After who needs a semi-automatic for any reason.

After who needs a semi-automatic for any reason.
No-one. Heaven help the world if we go down the route American has.
I presume Tarrant must have obtained the guns in New Zealand or else had a licence to bring them in from Australia?

And I understand that the police in New Zealand are not routinely armed.

New Zealand has fairly tight gun laws after a massacre there many years ago.
There are many questions to be answered, not least how the authorities had not been alerted to Tarrant.
Why has one of the four been released? Surely being an accomplice to this is an act of terrorism in itself?

Ghastly.

Anyone arrested with the gunman should be charged as accessories even if they didn't participate. We have such a law in the UK to those who were in the company of a murderer though didn't take part though knew what was to take place. Their sentences being the same.

I am so, so sorry that lives have been tragically ended and others changed for ever by the murderous intent of a racist. I have muslim family who came to this country to live their lives in safety and peace and yesterday I needed to be with them.

I also have a daughter in NZ and on my last visit there I found Auckland to be a wonderful mix of ethnicities. The truth is however, that my husband and I did see and hear such horribly racist views when we were there that it has made us reluctant to return. People were not afraid to tell me to my face that in having muslim (foster) sons I was 'betraying' my white heritage. And painful though it will be for some on here to know, those views were forcibly expressed in a couple of instances by churchgoing people. The casual racism we heard was, to us, quite shocking and was particularly marked in and around Nelson on the South Island. To counterbalance that though, we did go to one church, the Church of the Nazarene in New Lynn, that had a wonderfully diverse congregation and showed us that the bigoted views espoused by churchgoers elsewhere were not universal.