Love and kinship shared at Tauranga Christchurch remembrance service

A woman wearing a headscarf in solidarity with the city's Muslim community takes part in yesterday's service. Photo / Andrew Warner

Words weren't enough to explain the deep emotion felt among those gathered at Tauranga's National Remembrance Service, say those at the heart of it.

Women wearing headscarves joined elected city officials, office workers, a patched gang member and leaders of the Muslim community at yesterday'snational service at ASB Arena.

The crowd of about 150 scattered throughout the room and sat silently as formalities began with a reinvention of Whakaaria Mai, prayer and welcome.

Many attended by themselves, others in small groups of two, three or four. One woman sat on her own in the stands, quiet weeping. Others clustered to the front of the arena transfixed to local speakers and the live stream of the Christchurch service.

Among attendees, former soldier Howard Wilson said he had experienced personal hardship but all of that paled during the ceremony.

Wilson and wife Bessie sat together watching the service unfold. They took part because they wanted to do what they could to help the Mulsim community, he said.

"We know it's a trying time and we are here to tautoko (support) them," he said.

Howard and Bessie Wilson attended Tauranga's National Remembrance Service because they wanted to be able to tautoko (support) the Muslim community. Photo / Andrew Warner

"We are whanaungatanga (connected), it's about the aroha of our people.

"We've lived in their country - in Malayasia and all of that - and been amongst it [a Mulism culture]. They've always been good to us."

As people focused on the national speeches, police also stood sentry at each entrance.

Bessie said she wept as the names of those killed were read out.

"It's such a sad thing to happen to us and them, especially them.

"The love they gave to us from our time overseas, we took it and now we are giving it back to them. It's about aroha."

Tauranga Mosque president Ahmed Ghoneim said it was difficult to put into words the events from over the past two weeks.

"To explain what it has been like is not easy. It's something you can't explain but you feel it. It all comes from the heart," Ghoneim said.

"When I see a small kid coming with a McDonald's toy from a Happy Meal ... and put it through the fence at the mosque. When I see a small kid with a plastic bag filled with coins, his savings, and hands it over to me, this is love."

Former Tauranga's Mosque president Mohammed Amin echoed this, saying there were still people sharing their shock and grief with him, 14 days later.

"There are still people at 10pm at night still, with tears in their eyes and love for us. There were ladies, 98-years-old and 93, the ladies came in a taxi to give flowers and show us their tears as well. That is called love. That is called peace. That is called Islam.

"We still lost 50 brothers and sisters but this love, just how much New Zealand has given us, we are humbled."

People gather to pay their respects during Tauranga's National Remembrance Service. Photo / Andrew Warner

Western Bay of Plenty Mayor Garry Webber told the crowd "it is up to all of us to be absolutely determined to continue in our efforts to make sure our communities are all-embracing, multicultural, robust and safe for everyone who chooses to live in them".

"We are an incredibly diverse community and if we don't recognise all of those different ethnicities, religions, and points of view, then we would be all that much more poorer," he said.

Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless said the service was the culmination of the community's solidarity and support for the Muslim community. Due to the incredible turn out of people to previous similar events, it was hard to know how many to expect yesterday but the modest crowd did not deter from the gravity and impact of the service, he said.