Faith and community groups hold solidarity rally in response to New Zealand mosque shooting
About 100 people participated in a vigil and solidarity rally organized by members of the Muslim community and several other community groups at New Horizon School in Irvine Thursday, March 21, in memory of the 50 people who were shot and killed last week by a self-proclaimed white supremacist in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The mass shooting, the worst in that nation’s history, occurred at two mosques as area Muslims, many of them refugees and immigrants, had gathered for Friday afternoon prayers.
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Asmi Hussain, a local resident who lost two family members in the shooting, spoke at the vigil Thursday.
According to a report in Arab News, one of Hussain’s family members was Naeem Rasheed, a Pakistani professor who was killed as he tried to disarm the attacker, later identified as 28-year-old Brenton Harrison Tarrant.
Rasheed’s son Talha Naeem was killed as he tried to shield a young boy from the assailant’s fire, the report said.
This week, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a ban of “military-style” semi-automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines like those used in the shootings at the Christchurch mosques.
The gathering in Irvine Thursday night featured members of the Muslim, Jewish and Sikh communities, as well as civic and community leaders.
Hussain delivered an emotional speech, her voice cracking as she spoke about the toll this mass shooting has taken on her family.
“Our lives have totally changed,” she said. “Our perspective towards life has totally changed and it’s never going to be the same ever again.”
Several in the audience had tears running down their cheeks as they heard Hussain’s plea for unity.
The only way to fight hate is with love and by joining hands to stop all forms of hatred including Islamophobia, Hussain said.
“The United States is our home,” she said. “No matter what race or religion we are, we all want to be safe. We don’t want to be scared or live hiding our identities.”