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Sunday, November 24, 2024

A memorial service has been held in Christchurch, New Zealand, and screened around the nation, to honour the 50 victims of the 15 March shootings.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke at the televised event, along with Muslim leaders and a survivor of the attack.

Cat Stevens, the British singer who converted to Islam in the 1970s, also performed.

More than 20,000 people attended the event at the city’s Hagley Park, amid tight security.

Addressing the crowd in the park near the Al Noor mosque, where more than 40 people were killed earlier this month, Ms Ardern said New Zealand had “a responsibility to be the place we wish to be”.

“We are not immune to the viruses of hate, of fear, of other. We never have been,” she said, “but we can be the nation that discovers the cure”.

In all, 50 people died on 15 March when a white supremacist attacked two mosques in Christchurch, while livestreaming part of his attack on Facebook.

Ms Arden described how the world had been “stuck in a vicious cycle of extremism breeding extremism” but said “the answer lies in our humanity”.

Wearing a Maori cloak, she was joined by dozens of government representatives from around the world.

Farid Ahmed, who survived the attack by a far-right gunman but whose wife Husna was killed, made a plea for peace. He said he had forgiven the gunman.

“I don’t want a heart that is boiling like a volcano,” he said. “I want a heart that will be full of love and care, and will have mercy.”
Cat Stevens, whose Muslim name is Yusuf Islam, sang his songs Peace Train and Don’t be Shy. “It’s only when good people stay sitting that evil rises,” he said. “We’ve seen the opposite in this country.”

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Message from the CEO

On Internatonal Women’s Day

The mankind will not exist if there is no woman on this planet .Nature gave this power to woman to carry the source of existence.In today’s world even there are lots of awareness and activities to protect the rights of women there are still many evidence of discrimination and abuse for women . Women are still facing difficulties to live a decent and happy life . The physical or gender differences should not matter , what is most important is that we are all human being and Humanity is above all .

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