“We, New Zealand, we were not a target because we are a safe harbour for those who hate,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told the nation that night, as she stepped up to lead us through a nightmare.
“We were not chosen for this act of violence because we condone racism, because we are an enclave for extremism. We were chosen for the very fact that we are none of those things.”
“They are us,” she repeated over the coming days, becoming a catchcry for how we wanted to respond to this — but the word “they” also perhaps acknowledging that “We are one”, another statement from Ardern, had not been the case.
As our Prime Minister led, so did the Muslim community with expressions of forgiveness, in accepting the open arms of a nation, and in so many lessons of humility, love, tolerance and respect.
“We are broken-hearted, but we are not broken,” said Gamal Fouda, Imam of Al-Noor mosque, at the mass ceremony opposite it in Hagley Park a week later where he called on world leaders to eliminate hate speech, saying the massacre “did not come overnight”.
“Last Friday I stood in this mosque and saw hatred and rage in the eyes of the terrorist,” he said. “Today from the same place I look out and I see the love and compassion in the eyes of thousands of New Zealanders and human beings from around the globe.”
A year on, we reaffirm that love and compassion. We also must recommit to giving no space to racism and the xenophobia that some politicians still try to exploit. When we don't say or do anything, we condone it.
Peace be upon us all.
