- Title: Nuns pray in New Zealand mosque as arrested Australian to face 50 murder charges
- Date: 4th April 2019
- Summary: MAN PRAYING INSIDE AL NOOR MOSQUE MAN HANDING WATER TO NUNS ISRAFIL HOSSAIN WIPING TEARS FROM FACE OF SISTER DOROTHEA HOSSAIN SMILING AT NUNS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHRISTCHURCH CARMELITE NUN, SISTER DOROTHEA, SAYING: "So, we were standing in a very sacred place, I couldn't believe it. We ourselves are contemplatives, our life is a life of prayer. We often think our prayer room, the same thing could have happened in there and we could have been wiped out, all of us, and it's always on the cards. Because people, you know, everybody has their own problems and they have their own ideas about religions, and that's fine, and we should all have that, we're all different. But, we're all humans and that's the most thing, our humanity." (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOCAL WORKER, HUGO, SAYING: "I mean, I hope it brings some relief but obviously, it's not going to be enough, ever. But, yeah, it's good that he's being brought to justice." VARIOUS OF MUSLIMS EXPLAINING ISLAM TO NON-MUSLIM VISITORS INSIDE AL NOOR MOSQUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR BOY, WHANGAPAROAO COLLEGE, SEAMUS KELLY, SAYING: "They were really, really kind and inviting and basically brought us in with open arms. Let us show our support and just kind of told us a bit about Islam." (SOUNDBITE (English) CARETAKER AND MUEZZIN OF AL NOOR MOSQUE, ISRAFIL HOSSAIN, SAYING: "I've been here like staying inside the mosque for last four years and every times we didn't get that many responses. Now you see - just for incident now every people come to show us they their love, and we really appreciate it. People come from far over the world, only for one thing, say 'sorry', nothing else. They spending their valuable time leaving work, leaving their family, just to come here and saying, 'we're sorry brother. We are with you'. This makes us more happy. And, that's why we will become more stronger and will come back and we will be together, everybody." HOSSAIN STANDING OUTSIDE MOSQUE (SOUNDBITE (English) CARETAKER AND MUEZZIN OF AL NOOR MOSQUE, ISRAFIL HOSSAIN, SAYING: "I can tell what I felt, as I'm living here, what I found, no people even asking me who is he, where is he, what going to happen to him? Only, people saying, be patient, help each other, stand together, be together, become more stronger. Nobody is discussing about him." EXTERIOR OF AL NOOR MOSQUE
- Embargoed: 18th April 2019 10:24
- Keywords: Christchurch New Zealand call to prayer Al Noor mosque
- Location: CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND
- City: CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND
- Country: Australia
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice
- Reuters ID: LVA002A91MN9J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS NOTE: PLEASE SEE EDIT 0008-NEW ZEALAND-SHOOTING/TIMELINE SENT ON APRIL 3, 2019, FOR TIMELINE OF CHRISTCHURCH MOSQUE SHOOTINGS
As Israfil Hossain recited his call to prayer late on Thursday (April 4) afternoon, Sister Dorothea and her fellow Carmelite Nuns stood for the first time inside a mosque.
Linked arm-in-arm with a Muslim woman, the nuns were warmly welcomed, handed water and left to quietly watch as people prayed. Overcome with grief, Sister Dorothea had her tears dried by Hossain as he sat and talked with them about their different faiths.
The nuns are just one of many groups of people that have visited the Al Noor mosque since it opened its doors to the public on March 23 following a mass shooting at two mosques on March 15 that killed 50 people.
Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, will now face a total of 50 murder charges and 39 attempted murder charges, when he appears in Christchurch's High Court through a video link on Friday (April 5), police said.
Hugo, who rides his bike past the mosque most days of the week on his way to work said, "it's good that he (Tarrant) is being brought to justice."
A High Court judge said in court minutes this week that the appearance would largely be procedural and that Tarrant would not be required to enter a plea to the charges he faced.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the massacre, the worst mass shooting by a lone gunman in New Zealand, as a "terrorist attack" and some legal experts thought it could result in charges under New Zealand's terrorism laws.
At the mosque, caretaker Israfil Hossain said the focus continues to be on the people rather than Tarrant.
There are only "people saying 'be patient, help each other, stand together, be together, become more stronger'. Nobody is discussing him," he said.
(Production: Jill Gralow) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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