New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has vowed to never utter the name of the terrorist who killed 50 in the Christchurch attacks. A lone gunman conducted the mass shootings at two mosques in the South Island city.
Dozens were also wounded at the two mosques during Friday prayers in a crime that shocked the world. In a powerful statement to parliament Ms Ardern said: “You will never hear me mention his name. “He is a terrorist, he is a criminal, he is an extremist, and that is (whenever I speak) he will be nameless. We will give him nothing, not even his name.” Outlining some of the stories of bravery in the wake of the shootings, the prime minister praised the two police officers who apprehended the suspect, ramming his car while shots were still being fired.
She added: “Naeem Rashid died after rushing at the terrorist and trying to wrestle the gun from him. Abdul Aziz, originally from Afghanistan, confronted the armed terrorist after grabbing the nearest thing he could find, a simple Eftpos (card) machine. There will be countless stories of bravery, some of which we may never know. But to each of you, we thank you.” Ardern also hailed one of those killed in the mosque, revealing how the man who opened the door to the terrorist said “hello my brother, welcome” to the killer. She added he was a member of a faith that was welcoming. Promising that the perpetrator would face the “full force of the law in New Zealand”, she added: “The family of the fallen will have justice.”
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