Five years on, we remember the 51 who were murdered as they attended Friday prayers at Christchurch’s Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre. Illustration / Chris Slane

Five years on, we remember the 51 people who were murdered as they attended Friday prayers at Christchurch’s Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre. “They are us,” the prime minister said, donning a hijab and drawing mourners close. As-salamu alaikum.

Five years on, the lone gunman is in prison for life, no parole. The wounded live with their injuries. Semi-automatic weapons have been taken from private hands ‒ for now. The murderer’s other weapon of hate, social media, has been called to account for its part in the tragedy. This must never happen again, we said.

Five years on, we reflect: have we built a better world since?