WELLINGTON – For the first time in history, the session of the New ZealandParliament was started with the recitation of Holy Quran to expresssolidarity with those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks onChristchurch mosques
Inaugurating the special meeting of Parliament, the New Zealand PrimeMinister started speech with Muslims method of greeting “Al-Salaam Alaikum”.
New Zealand s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has urged the public to followher lead and avoid giving the gunman the fame he so obviously craves.
In her passionate speech to the special session of the Parliament onTuesday, Jacinda Ardern said “I implore you, speak the names of those whowere lost rather than the name of the man who took them. He is a terrorist.He is a criminal. He is an extremist. But he will, when I speak, benameless.”
The Prime Minister said the attacker sought many things from his act ofterror, but one is notoriety and we in New Zealand will give him nothing,not even his name.
Jacinda Ardern called on social media platforms to do more to combatterror, after the gunman in Christchurch live-streamed his attack onFacebook.
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Ms. Ardern assured MPs that the attacker would face the full force of thelaw.
She encouraged New Zealanders to acknowledge the grief of the Muslimcommunity this Friday – which is the Muslim day of worship and will markone week since the shooting.
Later talking to reporters, the New Zealand Prime Minister declared thatshe will do everything to deny the accused mosque gunman a platform forelevating his white supremacist views.
