New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who had been lauded by world media for handling aftermath of the shooting with poignantly, says New Zealanders have become more engaged with the Muslim community in the year since a gunman killed 51 people at two mosques.
The prime minister, who is in Christchurch attending events to mark the anniversary of the massacre said, “A year on, I believe New Zealand and its people have fundamentally changed. I can’t see how you could have an event like this and not.” “But the challenge for us will be ensuring that in our everyday actions – and in every opportunity where we see bullying, harassment, racism, discrimination— calling it out as a nation,” she added.
Ardern also talked about the laws changed in response to the attacks. The deadliest types of semi-automatic weapons are now banned and gun owners turned in 56,000 of their newly outlawed weapons for cash. Ardern, who was insistent that video of the shooting be pulled down from social media platforms immediately, talked about trying to eliminate terror attacks from being shown online.
Ardern's actions have brought some nations and tech companies together to work on the issue in and start a new crisis response protocol.
New Zealand Bishops call for unity ahead of Christchurch massacre anniversary
Bishops in New Zealand have issued a letter calling for peace to all the parishes in the country. The letter was released on Thursday. The anniversary of the deadly shoot out at the Christchurch mosque in New Zealand, is on Sunday, March 15.
The letter recognised the shared value of shalom and salaam in all Abrahamic religions and stressed on the importance of concentrating efforts towards harmony and prayer.
The bishops also expressed a desire that such attacks should never take place and mentioned how they remained close to the victims close of kin.
The letter also spoke of the Church's bond with the Muslim community. 'We can be incredibly diverse, but we are called to live as brothers and sisters', was the message the letter seemed to convey.
