A sign sums up the mood of the crowd that gathered in Hagley Park, Christchurch, a week after the terror attacks. File photo / Alan Gibson
A sign sums up the mood of the crowd that gathered in Hagley Park, Christchurch, a week after the terror attacks. File photo / Alan Gibson
EDITORIAL
We've changed.
Six months has passed since the tragedy in Christchurch mosques took 51 lives.
Many of us knew we had changed that same day - certainly those close to the slain, and those of the same faith. As each new detail adding to our knowledge of the sheerscale of the atrocities emerged - and the stories of survivors and bereaved shared - we were all, irrevocably, different.
Today, Farid Ahmed reflects on the events of March 15 when his wife was killed after ushering women and children to safety. Husna was gunned down while returning for her wheelchair-bound husband.
The world looked on as Farid Ahmed was wheeled to his wife's funeral, and many of us put our hands to our mouths and marvelled only days later when he declared his forgiveness for the perpetrator. He lit up the headlines again when he visited the White House and shook the hand of US President Donald Trump.
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Farid Ahmed in the Oval Office of the White House. File photo / AP
That has become one of the resounding legacies of what Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described as "one of New Zealand's darkest days": The sheer illuminating power of forgiveness.
Most religions profess the principle of forgiveness. It's clear to any considered thinking that dwelling on hatred and revenge undermines progress and the pursuit of a more positive future.
Prophet Muhammad demonstrated clemency when he forgave Wahshi, the criminal who murdered and mutilated his uncle Hamza. The Quran is said to mention "forgiveness" and "mercy" 100 and 200 times respectively.
Justice will take its course and we can be assured that it is being handled with the knowledge the world is watching.
As Farid Ahmed says, in his letter to New Zealand today: "People are still visiting the mosques, bringing gifts, paying their respects every single day.
"I would say that March 15 had initiated the bridging between groups in the community."
Mahatma Gandhi is credited for saying: "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."
We changed that day, and in the days afterwards. Thanks to the example of Farid Ahmed and many others, we became stronger.
