In a viral video, a youngster asked New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to embrace Islam. “To be honest, you brought me here. I have cried for the last three days. I pray that others see your leadership skills. I hope one day you enter into Islam,” he says. To that, Ardern replies that Islam taught humanity and she felt she had it. THE WEEK cannot vouch for the authenticity of the video.
After the Christchurch mosque massacre, when 50 Muslims were murdered in their place of worship, Ardern had earned plaudits for the way she handled the situation. Ardern addressed the nation, declaring Friday was “one of New Zealand's darkest days”. She expressed support for the victims, who were migrants or refugees to New Zealand, and declared, “They are us,” to affirm the country's inclusive nature. She also said the shooters' extremist ideology had “no place” in New Zealand's society.
On Saturday, Ardern went to Christchurch, wearing a hijab and addressed Muslims, accompanied by government officials and even the leader of the opposition. When prompted by a community leader of the need to visit victims, Ardern, according to stuff.co.nz, changed her plans to visit the Hagley College to talk to people who had been directly affected.
