Father uses nation's mourning to educate son about love and solidarity

Areeb Taimoori and his son Ezaan Taimoori have lost relatives in the Christchurch mosque shootings and are heading to Christchurch for the funerals. Photo / Supplied

An Auckland father is using the mourning of a nation following the Christchurch mosque shootings to educate his son about love and solidarity.

Areeb Taimoori and his 8-year-old son Ezaan flew to Christchurch this afternoon to pay respects to two cousins and a close friend killed in the terrorist attack.

But Taimoori told the Herald the trip was not about focusing on what had happened, but to show his son the love and support the community were displaying.

"A lot of people have questioned why I am taking my son with me, but it's not about showing him what has happened, it's to show him the love and compassion," he said.

People lay flowers and spend time at the wall of flowers at the Botanic Gardens in Christchurch. Photo / Fiona Goodall

"As a wider New Zealand community we have come together. The kind of love people are showing - the beds of flowers – he needs to see this for him to be a good citizen tomorrow and for him to give back to a country that has shown this love today."

Like most New Zealanders, Taimoori said it had been "a horrible weekend", but he'd chosen to focus on the good that had come from the devastating event.

"This weekend has completely changed people's perception towards Muslims. Just today my son came back from school and said 'before it was really hard for people to understand what a mosque was or what I am as a Muslim, but today kids in my class gave me a hug and everybody knew what a mosque was suddenly'.

Flowers and candles at the police cordon on Deans Ave in Christchurch. Photo / Michael Craig

"The education that has come through from this weekend is just amazing. For the first time Muslims have been hugged.

"It has been a long time coming but sometimes we felt that we were never heard, but today people are not just wanting to hear us but to hug us and stand by us.

"These are the values I really want him to pick up in Christchurch," he said.

Taimoori said his son was too young to understand the extent of Friday's terrorist attack, but his focus was on what New Zealand is doing in response to it.

"He asked me on Saturday, 'Dad why did all these people die and who killed them?'. I didn't really get down in-depth into why and who because he is too young to understand that.

"I just explained that the person was sick and needed help and there might be other people in the future like him – but it is about how we change them as a community by being lovely to them.

"It is more about the fact that people have passed away and the whole of New Zealand has stood by us and are showing their love and support," he said.

"It is about how we as Muslims repay this back to the communities who have showered us with so much love and compassion, and how we can educate the next generation on the amount of love everyone has shown."

Taimoori said he was not frightened to travel with his son to Christchurch.

"We live in the most beautiful country in the world and one person cannot change that for us.

"One person cannot change that my kid is going to grow up here and serve this country in every good way possible."