A Maori lament echoed across New Zealand's Christchurch on Friday (March 29th) as a survivor of the mosque attacks told a national remembrance service he had forgiven the gunman responsible for the deadly attacks, AFP reported.
Thousands attended the service in the grieving southern city, standing silently with heads bowed while the names of 50 people killed were read out.
Four Egyptians, one Saudi citizen, a Syrian refugee father and son and four Jordanians were among those killed in the attacks on two mosques.
Representatives from nearly 60 nations joined Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who praised the way New Zealanders had embraced their devastated Muslim community since the attacks.
"Racism exists, but it is not welcome here," she said.
"An assault on the freedom of any one of us who practice their faith or religion is not welcome here. Violence and extremism in all its forms is not welcome here."
Farid Ahmed, whose wife Husna was killed as she rushed back into the mosque trying to rescue her disabled husband, said he forgave the accused gunman.
"People ask me, 'why do you forgive someone who has killed your beloved wife?'" he said. "I can give so many answers... God says if we forgive one another he loves us."
Echoing Ardern's theme that extremism should not be allowed to breed extremism, Ahmed said he chose peace over anger.
"I do not want a heavy heart boiling like a volcano with anger, fury and rage -- it burns itself and burns its surroundings," he said. "I want a heart full of love, care and mercy. This heart does not want any more lives to be lost, any other human to go through the pain I have gone through."
"That is why I am choosing peace and I have forgiven."
