Global counter-extremism expert visits Christchurch mosque scenes and praises New Zealand's response

Prayer and PM's speech in Parliament on Christchurch Mosque attack. / Parliament TV

A global counter-extremism expert who has jetted into Christchurch to talk to survivors has praised the New Zealand response to its worst-ever terrorist attack.

Dubai-based Dr Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi visited the two Christchurch mosques where a gunman shot and killed 50 people last Friday.

Al Nuaimi, chairman of Hedayah, an international centre that looks at countering violent extremism, said the world should take lessons from how New Zealand has handled the tragedy.

"Some of these extremists, they want to divide us, break us, but we should not let that happen. We need to speak up, as you have done here," he told the Herald.

Global counter-extremism expert Dr Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi speaks to a member of the police outside the Al Noor Mosque. Photo / Alan Gibson

"Although this is a crisis, there are lessons to be learned here. New Zealand, you taught the world. The world is looking and seeing how you handled this. It's a lesson that we need to learn."

Al Nuaimi was touched after witnessing a student haka while visiting Al Noor Mosque.

"That is a message coming from the heart."

He also praised Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's strong response, believing her message of solidarity was being heard across the world.

"We have to come together, regardless of the background, or the source, or the root of this incident," Al Nuaimi said.

"We have to work hard to get people to believe in co-existence and the common values that we have as human beings."

Linwood Mosque Imam Alabi Lateef Zirullah (right) and Abdul Aziz (left) who chased the gunman. Photo / Alan Gibson

Al Nuaimi was part of a delegation from the United Arab Emirates that visited both mosque sites. Ali Elmadani, a retired electrical engineer who emigrated from the UAE to New Zealand in 1998, was one of the 50 victims.

Linwood Mosque shooting hero Abdul Aziz who confronted the gunman and is being commended for saving lives met the delegation and told them how the drama unfolded.

Linwood Mosque Imam Alabi Lateef Zirullah heard a voice outside the mosque at about 1.55pm and saw a man wearing dark military-style clothing and holding a large semi-automatic weapon.

He then saw two bodies lying on the ground.

"When I saw those Muslims shot dead I just told our brothers, 'Go down! Go down! Somebody has just shot our brothers outside the masjid'," Zirullah said.

Kabul-born Aziz ran outside screaming and as the gunman ran back to his car to reportedly swap weapons, Aziz hurled an Eftpos machine at him.

"He got another gun from his car and he started shooting at me," Aziz told the delegation, adding that he ducked behind parked cars, before picking up a gun the shooter had abandoned. He pointed it and squeezed the trigger but it was out of ammunition.

When the gunman tried to free, Aziz hurled the gun at the windscreen "like an arrow" and it shattered the windscreen before he raced off.

The gunman was caught by two quick-thinking policemen soon after on Brougham St.

Aziz told the delegation that the gunman never entered the mosque – a small wooden building up a back driveway. He pointed out where his fellow worshippers were shot dead.