Christchurch mosque attacks anniversary: Imam Gamal Fouda releases personal message

A Christchurch Islamic leader who survived the March 15 mosque shootings has today released a personal message on the second anniversary of the attacks.

Imam Gamal Fouda was giving his Friday prayer on the afternoon of March 15, 2019, when a terrorist stormed the Masjid Al Noor on Deans Ave and opened fire.

He survived but 42 of his congregation were murdered before the gunman travelled across town to the Linwood Mosque and shot dead another nine people.

Imam Gamal Fouda was devastated after the attacks on his Masjid Al Noor mosque in Christchurch.

"Our shuhada (martyrs) have been killed but they are alive – they are not dead," Fouda says.

"Our country will not forget them. New Zealand will not forget them. These shuhada are in paradise. They are with Allah – happy.

"Our role is to spread peace and love, because love is the path to peace. We would like to spread kindness and compassion towards anyone and everyone because we are all brothers and sisters in humanity."

He added: "Let us today start to do something good, kindness to someone else, that is the way we can enjoy our life and share this planet in peace together."

At Saturday's national remembrance service, Fouda said no one could have imagined that a terror attack would happen in New Zealand.

"Over the last two years we have shown that New Zealand is unbreakable," he said.

"We are here today to reconfirm the same message - we are together, we are one."