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Teaching Tolerance

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This lesson explores, confronts and seeks to deconstruct stereotypes and fears targeted at Muslims. In small groups, students will analyze myths and misconceptions about Muslims. They will also understand the meaning of Islamophobia and its effects on Muslims, watch a video to understand the impact of Islamophobia and create an anti-Islamophobia campaign to display in school.

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Teaching Tolerance

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IN A EFFORT TO SEEM INCLUSIVE, YOUR BEING MANIPULATED INTO ADDRESSING ONE RELIGION INTO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM WITH ITS OWN ENTITLEMENT , AND PRIVILEGE, BASED ON HEARSAY, WITH NO ACTUAL EVIDENCE BY LAWYERS. WHEN REALLY YOU REPRESENT 3200 VARIOUS RELIGIONS. ONCE YOU TREAT ANY OF THEM DIFFERENTLY YOUR ACTUALLY BEING DISCRIMINATORY TO THE REST. THIS IS WHY RELIGION, AND POLITICS DO NOT BELONG IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. RESPECT FOR YOU COUNTRY AND FLAG SHOULD BE THERE TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER. BUT IF PEOPLE WANT RELIGION OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT DEVIATES FROM THE WORD PUBLIC.....SHOULD FUND THERE OWN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION, AND ENJOY THEIR DIFFERENCES. EVERY TIME A GROUP IS IDENTIFIED AS VICTIMS BEFORE HAND, HAVE AND UNWRITTEN ADVANTAGE OVER OTHERS IN THE CASE OF POSSIBLE CONFLICT. ESTABLISHING A PLATFORM FOR MAKING ALL NOT BELONGING TO THE GROUP THE REAL VICTIMS.

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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The Muslim call to prayer will be broadcast around the country on television and radio at 1.30pm and will be followed by a two-minute silence at 1.32pm, at Hagley Park, opposite the Al Noor Mosque in Deans Ave, Christchurch. Thousands are expected to attend the event at Hagley Park.

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10.52 Podcast
A story of my father, his faith, and his mosque. A story of Islamophobia.

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On the Heinemann podcast today, something different. We offer a story from author Sara Ahmed. A story about compassion, empathy and most importantly, identity. This is a story about Being the Change:

Today's podcast is also the letter in the opening chapter of Sara's new book, Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension.

In her book, she explores how student growth can happen in the moments when we embrace discomfort and have candid conversations together. Sara writes there is no magic formula for making the world a better place. But bringing social issues and identity into the classroom is certainly a start.

To follow along with Sara, we invite you to download the full text with the link below.
* * *
Sara K. Ahmed is currently a literacy coach at NIST International School in Bangkok, Thailand. She has taught in urban, suburban, public, independent, and international schools, where her classrooms were designed to help students consider their own identities and see the humanity in others. Sara is coauthor with Harvey "Smokey" Daniels of Upstanders: How to Engage Middle School Hearts and Minds with Inquiry. She has served on the teacher leadership team for Facing History and Ourselves, an international organization devoted to developing critical thinking and empathy for others. You can find her on Twitter @SaraKAhmed.

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On the Heinemann podcast today, something different. We offer a story from author Sara Ahmed. A story about compassion, empathy and most importantly, identity. This is a story about Being the Change: Today's podcast is also the letter in the opening chapter of Sara's new book, Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension .

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What Schools Need to Know About Islamophobia

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What Schools Need to Know About Islamophobia

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A bilingual site for educators and families of English language learners

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Resources for Educators

Teaching Tolerance

Anti-Defamation League: Educational resources

PBS NewsHour

Bias and bullying

Additional lesson plans and resources

Talking about tough topics in the news

Making Students Feel Welcome

Creating a warm welcome for immigrant families in the front office

When the window becomes the mirror
"When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection, we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience." - Rudine Sims Bishop
Books and Authors

We've compiled some of our booklists of titles featuring Muslim characters, celebrations, or stories.

Booklists

Books by Theme

Books by Author

More recommended resources

Building bridges through books

Turning the Page, an education non-profit supporting family engagement in DC and Chicago Public Schools, builds summer learning experiences for families. One such excursion took children to the Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler Galleries to tour their exhibit, Turquoise Mountain: Artists Transforming Afghanistan, learn about Islamic art, and make their own ornament from a printable pattern guide to take home.

Videos

These excerpts are part of our Facebook Live conversation with Hena Khan. See more videos in our Meet the Author interviews with Hena Khan and Rukhsana Khan.

Including the Vandalism of a Mosque in Amina's Voice

What I am learning from my sons and other young American Muslims about their experiences

Conversations with kids in schools

"Under My Hijab"

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What Schools Need to Know About Islamophobia

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Creating a warm welcome for immigrant families in the front office "When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection, we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience."

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1.33 Video from Heinemann Blog

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The methods we use to ensure peaceful classrooms often involve avoiding difficult conversations and controversial topics. However, if we want kids to learn to comprehend others' identities and perspectives, those identities and perspectives must be shared. To do this productively while also maintaining a safe environment for our kids, we may need to modify our approach.

Remembering that the focus is not just about you gives you permissions to take the pressure off yourself. When we try to empathize by constantly relaying our own experience, we can stop others from sharing, and we miss the opportunity to learn wholly about their experiences. We don't fully listen. Picture this situation: news walks into our classroom -perhaps a pet dying, the loss of a family member, or world news. Immediately, we try to think of ways to connect. But when our empathy statements begin with "I," kids may roll their eyes in anticipation: "Oh man, here comes another story about her."

Our lives as educators are full of rich and diverse experiences, but we cannot possibly have an understanding of every hand that has been dealt to our students. And if a comment arises in class that offends our personal belief system and we fall into the trap of responding ourselves rather than allowing students' truths to be expressed, we are controlling the ownership of the learning. Keeping this general questioning principle in mind can help: What does this mean for you? Not, what does this mean for me? Your strongest superpower in the classroom is kid watching. Make it about what the kids are doing and saying. That is, listen; does just wait to talk.

***

Learn more about Being the Change on heinemann.com

Sara K. Ahmed is currently a literacy coach at NIST International School in Bangkok, Thailand. She has taught in urban, suburban, public, independent, and international schools, where her classrooms were designed to help students consider their own identities and see the humanity in others. Sara is coauthor with Harvey "Smokey" Daniels of Upstanders: How to Engage Middle School Hearts and Minds with Inquiry. She has served on the teacher leadership team for Facing History and Ourselves, an international organization devoted to developing critical thinking and empathy for others. You can find her on Twitter @SaraKAhmed.

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The methods we use to ensure peaceful classrooms often involve avoiding difficult conversations and controversial topics. However, if we want kids to learn to comprehend others' identities and perspectives, those identities and perspectives must be shared. To do this productively while also maintaining a safe environment for our kids, we may need to modify our approach.

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A day where everyone’s identity (is) at stake.

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A day where everyone’s identity (is) at stake.

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15 min Podcast & Transcript

...take any recent news that you’ve read or heard this past year.  Who do you see?
We may see ourselves in someone but have the privilege to walk through this world never being targeted for that shared piece of identity.

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In her book, Being the Change, author Sara Ahmed explores the importance of social comprehension in the classroom; understanding those often tricky-to-navigate landscapes of race, gender, politics, religion, sexuality... In July 2018 Sara spoke at the Nerd Camp literacy conference in Michigan about the tensions many of us feel during big moments in history.

In her presentation, Sara shared with listeners her experience on September 11, 2001. As we reflect on the events that took place that day, we felt that Sara's story perfectly highlights both the progress we've made, and the great lengths we still have to go as a nation of teachers, learners, and engaged citizens.

Here now is Sara Ahmed.
Below is a full transcript of Sara's presentation...
Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

Most of us remember where they were, maybe even who we were with-on that cloudless day of infamy. A day where everyone's identity was at stake.

I was a senior at the University of Iowa, walking into my first class then promptly running out in search of the nearest payphone to call my big sister Samira who was living and working in Manhattan.

Phones lines were already down by then.

The only thing I could think to do was run home, turn on the news, and call my mom.

She picked up right away and said, "Your sister is okay. She is at home. And since you are okay, can you go over to the Iowa City mosque and check on them? I know they are on your street.

I went silent.

I live a life that Jhumpa Lahiri, author of The Namesake and Interpreter of Maladies, describes as hyphenated.

On one side of my hypen, I am "American". By birthright, by schooling and soccer games, by BBQ's and birthday parties, by public library card, by voter card. I am brown-eyed Americana-1 st generation. And on the other side of the hyphen I am East Indian. By blood and bangles, by saris and smells of chicken, and masalas, and curries throughout my childhood home.

But on 9/11 my hyphenated identity became a little more complicated. The invisible became visible.

See, my last name is Ahmed and I was raised Muslim. By Friday prayers, by Sunday school and summer school that I never wanted to attend. By a family who fasts during Ramadan, by a father who prays five times a day when he isn't playing tennis or watching tennis. But to be fair to my practicing Muslims brothers and sisters... today, I more accurately identify as the daughter of two awesome Muslims.

Indians-Muslims-Immigrants-American Citizens.

So you can imagine how all those hyphens line up for me or a family like mine on 9/11.

Americans(hyphen)Indians (hyphen)Muslims (hyphen)Immigrants

And why when my mom asks me to go check on my fellow Hawkeye neighbors at the mosque I finally reply-" No way, Mom."

And in her loving tone that only mothers can employ, she retorts... "I wasn't asking you."

She gave me "the look" through the phone.

Because she knew what was coming.
***
Soon after the news broke on 9/11 the American public retaliated against their fellow citizens... people who were born here like me, maybe like you. People who pledge allegiance to the flag, who vote, who study, who pay taxes-who have a name similar to mine...or the visibility of a beard similar to my father's, a headscarf like my aunt's. Even towards men who wear turbans-they are Sikhs, a completely different religion.

I felt the tension of identifying with the victims and with the perpetrators-a slight chokehold on my hyphen, because that is what was immediately assigned to me.

American-victims; Muslims--Perpetrators. Because that is what was immediately assigned to me.

My access to online check-in became an error message, kiosks at the airport were not an option, and multiple times, I wouldn't be given a seat until boarding began, last on the plane. One day I was finally bold enough to ask the airline representative why this keeps happening and she said, "Oh it's not a big deal, your name just matches someone on the no-fly list so we have to run extra security before we allow you to board. Soon you will be able to pay to get your name cleared..." TSA Pre-Check-it's not a luxury for everyone, it just affords us the same movement through an airport as everyone else.

***

Many of the students you spend the better part of your day with live a hyphenated life. Indian-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Latinx-Americans, bi-racial, multi-racial, religiously hyphenated, gender hyphenated, culturally hyphenated. Maybe you do as well.

Today, I speak in support of those kids, some silenced by the heteronormative white narrative that we have centered in this country. I humbly speak today as one of those kids, though we all have varying degrees of visibility, when I tell you that it's not easy growing up hyphenated in America. The duality of your existence is questioned by implicit or explicit messages around you. You can be seen as just one of "us" -- or quickly ushered into a space of othering with one headline or news cycle, or unit taught in school. Neither of which you want. You are American when all is well, but quickly labeled by only other parts of your hyphen when convenient by the next oppressor.

You may suddenly have to carry the answers for an entire community -- be a spokesperson for the group. Knowing full well that even the smallest, closest communities vary greatly in the diversity of their humanity, but you answer with discomfort feeling the weight of your place in that moment and not having the language to say, "Well, I can't speak for all 1.8 billion of us but...

Kids that live a hyphenated life are constantly trying to get it right on both sides of the hyphen as Jhumpa Lahiri puts it. They spend their day, their life, code switching through different norms, different spaces because of the way we default to center one race, one gender, one ability, one religion, one relationship, in this country.

***

I share this story with you today because in an age of 24-7 media inundation, our kids can come through the door, classroom or home, carrying the weight of any news, any story on their shoulders and on their hyphen.

And this student standing before you today, realized what it was like to feel the implications of an event, a tragic event, on her own identity but more importantly on those she loves most. So, if you could humor me for a second and take any recent news that you've read or heard this past year.

A school shooting.

A police shooting.

Wedding Cakes.

Immigration.

Family Separation.

Affirmative Action.

Starbucks.

Travel Ban.

Now who do you see? With whom do you share an identity-racial, gender, religious, familial-either self-proclaimed or assigned?

Is it the victims? The perpetrators? The upstanders? The bystanders?

When we are honest and candid, when we hold up the mirror and dig deep, we may uncover some discomfort in the reflection. We may see ourselves in someone but have the privilege to walk through this world never being targeted for that shared piece of identity. We may feel a fleeting tug at how we can feel compassion for some but not for others, or how we remain silent in our shame but just can't stand up.

No matter how you feel, all of us need to remain mindful that the morning after news shakes our small towns, our nation, or our world-someone nearby: a student, colleague, family, will start their day feeling a little less safe solely based on their identity. Or on their hyphen.

And those are the voices that we silence simply by doing nothing to make them feel safer.

***

On September 12, 2001, my parents decided to dedicate the rest of their lives to visiting local places of worship and to discuss Islam because they know, we know, there is more power, more sustainability for humankind, if we work to spread knowledge and compassion over paranoia, fear and hate.

We can't afford to create single stories and false narratives based on sensationalized news headlines and social media posts. We need to get proximate to the human story.

It would be asinine to take the media-profiled identities of repeated perpetrators like Adam Lanza or Dylan Roof who have taken the lives of children in our schools and congregants in our churches, and generalize to form a single-story for young, White-American males wouldn't it?

So why is my father being escorted out of security line to, in his own words, "a hallway full of Muslims" at O'Hare airport? Why are unarmed Black-Americans under fire? Why are Latino-American families scared for their children to walk to school alone for fear that ICE agents will intercept their kids en route of their right to access knowledge & books?

Why are citizens being scrutinized or taken off planes for telling their parents on the phone, "Inshallah or Asalaam-walakum." Which literally translate to the same English phrase used by some of us who reach across the aisle or the pew every Sunday and say- "Peace be with you."

Our students see themselves in the human beings, in the news we sometimes have the privilege of calling "issues," "controversial" or "debates." Do we see them? Do we see their hyphens? Do they know we see them?

And, with all due respect, the legitimacy of my family's citizenship is not up for debate.

***

My mother asked me to go over to the mosque in Iowa City not only because she is a Muslim, but because she understood in that community they too were Americans. American-Muslims who mourned the same way we all did on 9/11. But she knew headlines would silence their hyphen.

This is a story from 17 years ago. And now it's 2018 and the world continues to hand us curriculum.

When we get proximate to the human story, we find our identity in the humanity of others. That is all I am asking of us today, to get proximate...

Get. Proximate.

To the family who flees danger, walks across two countries to seek asylum (a human right, not a handout) so their children can sleep safely at night with food in their bellies.

To the parent who tells their son to put their hood down because she doesn't want him to suffer the fate of so many before and after him.

To the child who is scared to come out to their family and friends.

To the citizen who just wants to enlist to fight for their country but can't because they've been told their gender identity is a financial burden on this government.

To the students and teachers down the road who are pleading to the courts for books & access to literacy.

***

We often ask kids to put themselves in someone else's shoes before we give them the opportunity to voice what it is like to be in their own shoes. I have made mistakes in the past in that in my own fears of being dutiful and being ok with the status quo, that I was working much harder to silence kids than I was to amplify their voice. And I have had to remind myself that we are not in the crusader, savior business of giving kids a voice- they already have one, and that we can be in danger of doing more harm than good when we don't believe that. So the question I am starting to ask myself is, how am I actively contributing to a system that silences kids? And as soon as I see it, what I am going to do instead that centers their identity, their hyphen, and voice?

We can't be in such a hurry to get to the social media Empathy Olympics or finish line with the most recent YA book on a diverse book list. Sit with those books, those stories, and read them again, pause and wonder what is happening to you in the transformation that writers like Jason Reynolds, Erika L. Sanchez, Angie Thomas, Mihn Le, Laurie Halse Anderson, Samira Ahmed (I had to get that one in there J), gift us through their own voice. Then figure out how to get proximate in your reality every single day.

Show kids that your shared school space is where they get to tell their stories, ask them what they would tell the world with the pen, the mic, the platform they already have in their hands and then get out of their way. Because a misconception of the reality of our world (one that I myself am guilty of buying into) is that young voices are not being silenced only by oppressive regimes and political leaders, but by the choices every single one of us make each day.

I've spent the first three weeks of this summer in the beautiful country of Guatemala learning the Spanish language and getting as proximate to the human story there as possible. And on the plane home I read a story in the NYT of a Central American man who was charged-under this Administration's policy-with illegal entry while seeking his human right to asylum. And as the border agents pulled his three-year-old daughter away from him, she turned, confused, and asked her father where she was going. "to a summer camp," was the fastest thing he could think of to make his little girl smile.
***
We have come together today as superfans of kids and literature, and as students of literacy and history we all know this:

There will be a day in the near future where this generation of world's children will write their stories. Much like Anne Frank or Malala, The Little Rock Nine, or representative Lewis...

They will be armed with the pen, with the mic.-probably something like a talking hologram-and share with the world their truth.

Narrative Essays of being trapped in a classroom closet during the shooting. Memoirs of separation from parents at the border. Poetry from life in the cages. Argumentative essays of why it is wrong to rip families apart or deny DREAMERS the right to education. Snapshots of zip-tied hands and summer camp.

And our kids-and the kids of our kids-will be the audience- the readers who will see their humanity in these kids and these stories.

And they will have questions. Because we are raising them to not be silent.

So, when they look us in the eye and ask: Did you know about this? Where were you when this was happening?

We will have to look straight back at them as witnesses to history, and tell them the truth. And I hope and pray that our truth sounds like this:

That we spoke out-even when it was hard.

That we wrote.

That we read.

That we marched.

We checked on our neighbors-even when it wasn't popular.

That we voted.

That we left our echo chambers to get proximate-to people.

And that we fought like hell to bend the arc of democracy towards the just side of history. Because if transformative progress is our goal, then every single one of us is a solution.
Peace be with you all, and thank you for all you do for kids. Hear more read alouds from Sara Ahmed on the Heinemann Podcast
Sara K. Ahmed is currently a literacy coach at NIST International School in Bangkok, Thailand. She has taught in urban, suburban, public, independent, and international schools, where her classrooms were designed to help students consider their own identities and see the humanity in others. Sara is coauthor with Harvey "Smokey" Daniels of Upstanders: How to Engage Middle School Hearts and Minds with Inquiry. She has served on the teacher leadership team for Facing History and Ourselves, an international organization devoted to developing critical thinking and empathy for others. You can find her on Twitter @SaraKAhmed.

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In her newest book, Being the Change, author Sara Ahmed explores the importance of social comprehension in the classroom... In July Sara spoke at the Nerd Camp literacy conference in Michigan about the tensions many of us feel during big moments in history.

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29.50 Podcast w/Dr. Sonja Cherry Paul & Cornelius Minor

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Update: June 5, 2020:
Three years ago, we started this episode of the podcast by saying; not talking about racism is not a solution. We sought to have a conversation about dismantling racism in education after a Heinemann Fellows panel on the subject.

As we listen to this conversation through the lens of 2020, it's now not enough to talk about dismantling racism, rather we must take actions to be anti-racist. This podcast features authors Sara K. Ahmed, author of Being the Change, Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul, who most recently co-wrote Breathing New Life into Book Clubs and The Educator's Guide to Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, and Cornelius Minor, author of We Got This. Since this conversation first aired in June of 2017, all have published books, podcasts, talks and professional development events on diversity, equity, inclusion, and being anti-racist.

Before we begin, a message to white educators: we ask you to do the work that's necessary to disrupt whiteness and white supremacy within yourselves, your classrooms, and schools. We ask white educators to commit to doing this work now and long after the media coverage of this latest viral bout of racism.

Seek out the work of these authors and other Indigenous, Black, and other People of Color. Follow them on social media, support them by buying their work and attending their events, amplify their voices and never stop educating yourself.

Here now is our conversation from 2017 with Sara K. Ahmed, Dr. Sonja Cherry Paul and Cornelius Minor...

Be sure to follow Sonja Cherry-Paul, Sara Ahmed, and Cornelius Minor on Twitter.
This podcast originally aired on June 24, 2017: Below is a full transcript of the conversation.
Sonja: One way that we can define racism is going beyond this notion of racism being simply conscious hate. That it is individual acts of hatred or bullying. But to think about racism systemically and the ways in which it really is the fog over all of our lives, and making a list of those things. For me, as an educator, racism looks like certain people's stories being included in curriculum and in texts that we read, while others are being omitted. Racism looks like telling children of color or teaching children of color to celebrate and honor men, white men in particular, throughout history who were racist and oppressors. Racism looks like teaching children that race doesn't matter when in fact race does matter, to borrow from Dr. Cornell West.

When we teach kids these sort of canned narratives that race doesn't matter, we're all the same, we're all equal, there really needs to be a paradigm shift where we're teaching our children race does matter in this society. It shouldn't, but it does. And for some of your peers and for some citizens, they're having a very different experience because of the color of their skin. In our household, we see that as unjust and unfair and we are pushing back against that, but it's important for you to know that as you are going to school and celebrating the uniqueness's of your peers. That racism is real and it does matter in this society because there are people who make it matter. I wish that was the narrative that parents were taking in their homes and then teachers can pick up in schools, in developmentally appropriate ways to help kids understand this.

Brett: Cornelius, you talked about how we need to dismantle the assumptions of racism. We typically think of it as acts of violence or acts of hate. At one point, I can't remember who said it, somebody said, "There's an insistence of innocence among white people." And you helped us think through the systems in place that allow racism to continue, the systems in place that are racism. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Cornelius: Yeah. I'm really into the idea that systems can be examined and we can look at them and take them apart and add parts to it. When I say system, I'm looking specifically at the rules, the policies, the procedures, the customs that govern a specific place. When I look at racism, just to give it some historical context. Racism is the ideology that justified the trans Atlantic slave trade. It is human nature to be or really if you look at Newtonian physics, it's natural to at rest or in motion. It's natural to be at stasis. So when something is not quite balanced, something is wrong. We always want to move towards balance. When something is wrong you have to justify why the thing is wrong.

When you think about trans Atlantic slave trade, that was a vast wrong. So those people in power had to figure out ways to justify, how can this thing be wrong without outrage. This invention that there are these people called black, or there are people who are brown, and those people are less then us. That ideology, pervasive, pervasive, pervasive, but what happens is, that ideology, it infiltrates systems like schools, like health care, like government. So what happens when you take an ideology like racism and apply it to an institution like school, what ends up happening is that institution produces unequal outcomes for specific sub sets of people. Specifically black and brown children. Given the equal investment of time, energy, love, black and brown children net less of a gain from education or from school then their white peers because this system is in place that guarantees that will be the outcome.

When I thing about them, what are the constituent parts of the system, the constituent parts might be things like school discipline or what counts as work. In some schools, if only writing counts as work, the kids that are culturally predisposed to speaking are locked out of success within that system. That happens consistently over time. Even though there is no ill will or ill intent in that situation, because of the very mechanism of what is success and what is not success is set up against me. I can never do well within that system.

What happens is, the kid who is predisposed to speaking culturally nets less in that system. Then we point at that kid and say there's something wrong with you. There's a deficit there, when really it's the system that didn't allow that kid opportunities to be successful in the way that are really important to that kids' particular culture or that kids' particular racial or ethnic back ground.

Sonja: I think it's also important to point out that the whole notion of schooling, in terms of you were talking about intention. The whole intention of schooling was to never include black and brown children. To always exclude them and to make sure that they didn't have access to education. To see what you're describing playing out in schools doesn't surprise me. In fact, I feel that we often try to give people credit and say but we have the best intentions, when in fact, the intentions were not the best. They aren't the best and they were never the best.

When we think about what racism is, it's this whole architect of schooling which was never, ever designed to include brown and black bodies from the beginning. I feel like there needs to be an incredible over haul and transformation of schooling, in order for everyone's talents to be noticed and for everyone to have the ability to be successful.

Brett: Cornelius, I want to go back to a story that I've heard you tell a couple of times regarding your wife and the call center that she works at. I'd like you to share that story and connect that to this conversation and it's importance.

Cornelius: I have the most amazing wife on the planet. She spends a few evenings a week at a sexual violence call center. You pretty much wait by the phone all night. People call in. We don't really talk about it because it's a confidentiality thing, so I don't know what she does all night. When she volunteered there, people would call in and she would work people through problems, through crisis's. It was a night time thing, so she would come home very, very early in the morning. There was one specific morning that she came home and she was distressed. Usually she never wakes me up. She just comes and it's a thing that I acknowledge, but we don't really talk about it because we can't.

This one particular night, she said to me, "You know Cornelius, I really need you to talk to your guy friends about sexual violence. And I need you to talk to them specifically about rape." That just struck me as an odd request early in the morning. I just was like, "You know, it's not a guy thing. Why is this something I need to bring to my circle of guy friends?" She looked at me and was like, "Cornelius, in this community you are an influential athlete. You're a teacher. A lot of people look at you. And sexual violence is not a women problem. Women didn't create it. Women do not benefit from it, so it is a man problem. Men perpetuate it, men created it. Men benefit. If you're not talking to your guy friends about this, then you are complicit in sexual violence." That just really struck me, as her husband, as a man.

Well I think about that, and I transfer that to the conversation around race, that racism isn't something that was created by people of color. It isn't something that is perpetuated by people of color. It isn't something that people of color benefit from. When I think about solutions to racism, people of color can't be the only folks doing the work. It has to be white folks doing the work. If I look at it again, like sexual violence, it has to be men standing up, speaking out and not allowing it to exist in our friendships and in our communities. And the same applies to racism, it has to be white folks saying that this has no place in my community.

Brett: Sara, I want to bring you into this conversation. We have to get uncomfortable with these conversations. We have to live in that uncomfortable place. Help us figure out or talk us through that uncomfortable place we need to get to.

Sara: I think one of the things that we have to face first, is there is a lot of truths. There's a powerful and palpable silence about race and racism. We're silent because we don't know where to start. We've heard an educator say we only get through 50 percent of the conversation and don't know where to go. I think that there's a multitude of things that get in the way. But one of those ways to just begin a difficult conversation is to say "I know my truths. I know my experience as truth, but I have to be accepting and understanding and listening to the experience of others. Also take those as truth." Your lived experience is also a truth, just as mine is. And until we can even do that, we won't get passed a lot of that barrier, or a lot of that silence.

Brett: Not doing anything is a choice of doing nothing. To not have those conversations because out of fear that we'll say the wrong thing, especially when white people have that fear and they're sitting there and they're struggling with what to say, how to have that conversation. Choosing not to have those conversations is a choice to do nothing. I want to preface this with a quote that I've heard both you and Sonja say, "Just because I'm this person, that doesn't make me the diversity expert." I think that's really important for all people to understand.

Sara: I think I can name that because it's something that I struggle with. If you're on a panel, or you're being asked by a school or someone to come and talk to us about race. Sara, can you come talk to our staff about race? I often question why that is. I don't always understand it because I'm brown, it does not make me a diversity expert. It doesn't make me an expert on race. I have lived experiences, but really what I hope I can bring is the fact that I'm becoming increasingly more comfortable with the discomfort of having these conversations. I will come to your school as that. To help support everyone having those conversations but, not the expert because I'm brown.

Sonja: I think it's another way to sort of shift the responsibility of dismantling racism on the people who are affected by racism. Two years ago there was an incident in my school and I reported to my super intendant who happens to be white. His response to me, in written format, was "I'm sure that was awful for you. Why don't you go and tell the high school students how that made you feel?" My response was, "No. The onus is not on me because I happen to be the black person in this district." This incident related to name calling and using the N word.

I felt like this is something we need to tackle as a community not individual, that one individual who happens to be African American should go speak out against it. That was one of the reasons why I started a committee called the Race Matters Committee, in my district, where I just got a couple of colleagues who could come together and talk about that incident and also other issues that had been happening in our district. I just saw really clearly that I needed to surround myself with allies because I really felt like I was going to have to quit my job and leave my district because it felt so isolating. This is your problem, Sonja. You go handle it.

I think the onus is on all of us to do this work. We need to make sure that brown and black voices are heard and that they are at the center of that. But we also need white folks to educate themselves and to learn what they need to do to partner with everyone around them to tackle this problem and not just rely on the people who happen to be affected by it.

Brett: You're also said too, it's important to not lose sight of racism and constantly attach other things to it, where it then gets lost and forgotten. Can you talk a little bit about how important that is but also the responsibility of the community to support in that work?

Sonja: Right. I work in a district that's predominantly white teachers and white students. I've noticed that when ever we come around to have a purposeful conversation around diversity, specifically race and racism, it sort of segways into sexism or disabilities and learning challenges and what I've called the safe zones for the people in my district. The one thing that always falls to the wayside is racism. I think it is very challenging for people to have these conversations. For a litany of reasons, they're afraid they're going to say the wrong thing or they are just woefully unprepared to have these conversations, so they don't. They feel the best thing to do is say nothing. That to in fact, engage in these conversations is somehow polarizing and divisive, so it's best that we don't talk about this at all. Again, it was important for me to say, "No, There's going to be a committee and we're just going to specifically focus on race and racism."

Brett: I want talk about some things that we can do as educators, but before I go there, I feel that it's important that we need to go back and examine white privilege. It's a tough phrase to say. It's a tough idea to get out there and have conversations around. One thing,

Sonja, you've taught me that we sometimes will attach privilege to economics. That is an element of white privilege as well. How can we have these conversations about white privilege in a way where they're open, they're honest, we are uncomfortable but we're moving forward in our knowledge and we're not sitting in ignorance around it?

Sonja: I think one of the best ways to talk about white privilege is to say aside from economics, now that's a very real privilege, we can't pretend that it doesn't exist. We can certainly just look at our neighborhoods and we can look at the schools and we can compare them to other schools. If we just push that to the side, what are all of the other ways in which privilege lives? The privilege of being able to go to a library and find a book that has a character on the cover that looks like you. A book that has a story that is about you or as simple as watching a commercial and finding a product to shampoo your hair. To learn about that from watching TV, which is not an experience that I have. I have to take other measures to find out about different products for my hair, as a black woman. I don't have the privilege of just watching network TV and just seeing a commercial that is talking about people like me, who have hair like me.

In all these big and small ways, this is what privilege is. Probably in recent times, the most read piece of writing on privilege by Peggy McIntosh, but there's been a lot of brown and black folks talking about privilege for years. We should probably go back and figure out who they are. That's an entry point for some people, where she talks about unpacking her invisible knapsack. Being able to find a Band-Aid that looks like your flesh color. I've been seeing a lot of discussions about ballet dancers now that we have Misty Copeland in the spot light. There are brown and black people who are trying to create companies where the point shoes, even, are coming in different skin tones. Because historically, there's just one and it doesn't look like mine.

I think we could have these really obvious conversations about privilege that would then help people, help raise their consciousness. It's not just about economics. Again, economics is a big part of it but it's all of these other ways that I think people don't think about.

Brett: I want to add something that I heard today, in our conversations. It costs white people nothing to speak up. I felt that was an incredibly powerful statement. I don't remember who said it or at what point it came up but that really struck me as important.

Cornelius: It's exciting too because a lot of times we assume that these conversations have to be hard. One of the things that I always want to recognize is that one of the things that solidifies friendships is shared struggle. I'm sitting next to Vicki here, I like legit love her. I think a lot of that is rooted in the times that we spent together, we've talked about really meaningful things. To look at these conversations as hard conversations is one thing, but to look at these conversations that are going to solidify friendships, to look at these conversations that are going to strengthen professional bonds, to look at these conversations and say these are conversations that are going to sharpen my abilities to teach kids, I think that's the win.

That, no, it's not going to be a difficult conversation for the sake of a difficult conversation. This is going to be a difficult conversation that makes me feel really excited about being around my boss. Or this is going to be a difficult conversation. When we think about difficulty, I'm a skateboarder, you do a difficult thing because it's going to pay off. You don't just do a difficult thing for the sake of doing a difficult thing. I look at a set of stairs and I'm like, "I'm going to jump down those stairs because somebody's going to think I'm cool."

I think that's important. That this doesn't always have to be heavy, dark storm clouds. This can be something I'm going to engage in this thing with my colleague because I love her. Or I'm going to engage in this thing with my colleague because I think that we can be better colleagues to each other, if we do this hard thing together. Always just putting humanity at the center of all of this. That, yes, I'm going to do this hard thing, but this hard thing is going to have real social pay off in terms of how effectively I'm able to reach all students and then collegial pay off, in how well I'm able to work with my team.

Sonja: I think because it's hard, we tend to shy away from it but just with skateboarding and doing that really cool jump, it gets easier the more practice you have. We can get better at having these conversations about race and racism. They can be more fluid. But the way for that to happen is not to not have them.

Cornelius: Exactly.

Sonja: To have them more. In my work, I've been reading a lot of research. There was a study that said 75 percent of white families never or almost never talk to their children about race. When we just think about the intent behind that, what ever it is, if we just ask ourselves, is there any evidence that this assumption works? That our kids are going to be more tolerant and more accepting if we don't talk about race? Where is the evidence for that? It's certainly not true in 2017. It's not true in 2014. If we all just don't talk about it, we're going to have these children that grow up to be really amazing. That's not what they do. They grow up and they take these silences and they try to attach some sort of meaning to it, because they've been forced to work it out themselves.

Sara: Wouldn't you guys say, that really means too, that we don't have to have the answers when we approach the conversation, right? You can approach the conversation with humility. As a society, we're always looking to have the answer at the end of a conversation. But if we leave that conversation asking more questions, then democracy can evolve. We can progress in our democracy if we are asking more questions than having to be confident that we have the answers to everything.

Vicki: This is Vicki, the white person at the table who's feeling like I need to be a little braver and speak up. This is what it sounds like, a white person sounds like who's trying to find words and participate in these conversations. Just connecting to Sara, your observation that many of us are reluctant to speak up because we feel like we don't have the expertise. I think this is a particular hurdle for teachers, who really feel like they have to have the back ground knowledge and the authority, when we know as a publisher of progressive resources for teachers, that so much of the work is about creating a safe space for the conversation to happen. It's really important for the teacher to show up as a student too. It's okay. This is an opportunity for you to learn alongside your students.

I'm sitting here at this table and I've learned so much. Look for ways, like I'm doing in this conversation, to insert, to practice and acknowledge where you are. And make a commitment to moving from there, forward. One of the reasons I'm at this table is because as a publisher of professional resources for teachers, we recognize that we have a special obligation in this conversation. Looking at the kinds of books that we're putting out. Who are the children that are represented in the photographs in those books? How are we talking about children? How we representing all populations of children. Who are the teachers that get to be in these conversations?

We're also looking at the make up of our team, here at Heinemann, and we're wanting it to be more reflective of the broader array of humanity. We want to bring all of those perspective in house to inform everything that we do. It's a learning conversation for us. We feel our responsibility. We also understand that a lot of teachers perceive us as having a lot of authority. So we better study up and find some words.

Brett: Before we wrap this up, I want to give any of our listeners some next steps. Some strategies, some things they can do tomorrow or do today, depending on when they're listening. Sara, certainly something you said at one point. Read a book from an author that doesn't look like you. What other small steps can we do and how can those lead towards bigger steps?

Sara: I think that there's again this helplessness of looking to brown educators, educators of color, to say what resources do you have? We need those. My response is usually just read something by someone who doesn't look like you. Listen to another voice. That's just one take away these guys have.

Cornelius: There was a moment a few years ago, I don't know if you remember this Sara, I was really nervous. I had to teach this institute. Sara came on the first day of the institute and she just sat in my class so that I wouldn't be scared. She sat there. She sat there. She sat there. She left early and when she left, she left a Batman action figure on my desk. It was really perplexing because I didn't see her do it.

I'm in the middle of teaching this thing, that I'm really scared to teach. I go to the desk and there's a Batman figure. I just picked it up and I looked at it. I turned to the class and I said, "Who did this?" That was the first moment where I allowed myself to be vulnerable. I was carrying all this stress with me the whole morning but just asking a simple question and not knowing the answer, and not expecting to ever arrive at one.

If I were to give teachers any kind of next steps, it's be public about asking questions and don't expect to arrive at an answer. That it's totally okay to be vulnerable. It's totally okay to have a question and it's totally okay to not find the answer today. What was really interesting in the group when I held the Batman figure, we legitimately didn't know who did it, but everybody had these theories. It brought us all together. So the idea that you're not going to solve racism in a 45 minute class period, but people are going to have theories. People are going to have ideas and they're going to be together. I think that's really, really important.

Sonja: Yeah. I would say that racism, it's perpetuated by all who do not actively work to dismantle the system. One of things that happens a lot is, there are these emotions. Whether it's shame or frustration or anger, there is this idea that we shouldn't have those feelings. Let's instead be calm and patient and peaceful. Maybe it's the revolutionary in me, but I would like us to lean into those feelings of anger and frustration and shame and just confusion. Allow that to galvanize us to action toward dismantling the system. Let's not be afraid of it. Let's channel it and then act in ways that really help our kids and help ourselves and will help the world.

...

Listen and subscribe to the Heinemann Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

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On the Podcast: Dismantling Racism in Education (Rebroadcast)

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Three years ago, we started this episode of the podcast by saying; not talking about racism is not a solution. We sought to have a conversation about dismantling racism in education after a Heinemann Fellows panel on the subject.

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Blog @Jess5th

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The work of Tiffany  M. Jewell @tiffanymjewell

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Tiffany is a Black BiRacial ciswomxn, mama, and 6-9 Montessori educator who is committed to practicing and sharing anti-bias antiracist education with students, educators, families, everyone. She is trained through the Center for Montessori Education CMTE|NY and has taught at an independent Montessori school in Massachusetts for 13+ years.

Tiffany is dedicated to empowering students to trust themselves and to respect their authentic, diverse capabilities. She is creating developmentally appropriate curriculum that addresses social inequity through the lenses of race, economic justice, immigration, and gender. She created a student workshop titled Reconnecting Our Classroom Community, which provides a safe and nurturing environment for elementary age students to further their cosmic education through exploring identity and self within their communities. The History of Racism and Anti-Racism Curriculum was released in August. It is a workshop for elementary and middle school aged students that specifically introduces learners to the history of racism (racist policies and ideas) and the concurrent history of resistance and antiracism. This 200+ page curriculum is offered to all at no cost and Tiffany hosts training webinars every other month!

This Patreon account is here to help support the creation of this curriculum (and more), to share the resources I'm using, and allows for me to share lessons and curriculum with folks who are interested and excited to do this work in their classrooms! Because of my Patreon supporrters/ co-conspirators I am able to offer free webinars and trainings throughout the year. These are available to ALL who wish to attend and learn.

You will also find me on instagram @antibiasmontessori where I co-host the #AntiRacistBookClub with Britt Hawthorne.

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Tiffany Jewell is creating Anti-Bias Anti-Racist Curriculum | Patreon

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Tiffany is a Black BiRacial ciswomxn, mama, and 6-9 Montessori educator who is committed to practicing and sharing anti-bias antiracist education with students, educators, families, everyone. She is trained through the Center for Montessori Education CMTE|NY and has taught at an independent Montessori school in Massachusetts for 13+ years.

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To better understand dynamics within corporate environments, Dr. Talusan earned her certificate in Human Resources where she focused on the dynamics of intercultural communication in the workplace.

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I'm Not a Racist Am I? Film Trailer & Website

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I'm Not a Racist Am I? Film Trailer & Website

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via INRAI website

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Latino in America - CNN's Soledad O'Brien Reports

Harvest of Shame - with Edward R. Murrow, CBS

Food Chain - produced by Eva Longoria and Eric Schlosser

Latino Americans - produced by PBS

The Abolitionists - American Experience - directed by Rob Rapley

The African Americans: Many Rivers To Cross - with Henry Louis Gates, Jr

Adopted - directed by Barb Lee

American Promise - directed by Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson

Black in America and Black in America 2 - with Soledad O'Brien

The Central Park Five - A Film by Ken Burns, David McMahaon, and Sarah Burns

The Color of Fear - directed by Lee Mun Wah

Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity - a film by Shakti Butler

Latino Americans - a PBS and WETA Production

Life Cycles of Inequity - Colorlines, written by Kai Wright and produced by André Robert Lee

The Prep School Negro by André Robert Lee

Race: The Power of An Illusion - A PBS and California Newsreel Production

Slavery By Another Name - directed by Sam Pollard

Vincent Who? - a film by Tony Lam

Who Killed Vincent Chin? - directed by Christine Choy, Renee Tajima-Pena

A People's History of the United States: 1492 - Present, by Howard Zinn

Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Covering, by Kenji Yoshino

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander

Nurture Shock, by Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman

Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, by Dr. Joy DeGruy

Slavery By Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to WWII, by Douglas A. Blackmon

Waking Up White, by Debby Irving

We Can't Teach What We Don't Know, by Gary R. Howard

Whistling Vivaldi, by Claude Steele

White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son, by Tim Wise

I'm Chocolate, You're Vanilla: Raising Healthy Black and Biracial Children in a Race-Conscious World, by Marguerite Wright

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Other Conversations about Race, by Beverly Tatum

Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White, by Frank Wu

The Case for Reparations, by Ta-Nehisi Coates

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, by Peggy McIntosh

WEBSITES & PUBLICATIONS
Code Switch: Frontiers of Race, Culture and Ethnicity Colorlines Identities.Mic Race: Are We So Different? Vox Identities
ORGANIZATIONS
Border Crossers Facing History and Ourselves The People's Institute for Survival and Beyond, Undoing Racism Workshop Perception Institute The Privilege Institute SEED Project Race Forward Teaching Tolerance, a Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center
CONFERENCES

Facing Race - A National Conference
The White Privilege Conference The People of Color Conference

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INRAI Follow-up Resources - I'm Not Racist Am I?

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Latino in America - CNN's Soledad O'Brien Reports Harvest of Shame - with Edward R.

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Author Page: Books, Blog

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Hena Khan. Children's Book Author. Award-winning author of books for children, including Amina's Voice and Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns.

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Wordpress

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Meet Kamala Khan!
Books in the series

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Marvel.com is the source for Marvel comics, digital comics, comic strips, and more featuring Iron Man, Spider-Man, Hulk, X-Men and all your favorite superheroes.

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(She's my sister)

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A powerful, gripping YA novel about the insidious nature of racism, the terrible costs of unearthing hidden truths, and the undeniable power of hope, by New York Times bestselling author Samira Ahmed. Perfect for fans of Sadie and Dear Martin.

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Antisemitism & Religious Intolerance

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Find connections between historic debates over religious liberty and contemporary global tensions over faith, identity, citizenship, and immigration. Using the history of antisemitism to start dialogue, we examine the power this ancient hatred has to the shape thought, judgement, and behavior around the globe.

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Blog
The implications for our classrooms

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Take out a sheet of paper and something to write with. I'm serious. I'll wait on you. Got it? Good. Let's go.

Write down the names of the 5 people who are closest to you, not including children or your partner/spouse. Now, take a moment to reflect on the race, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status of those five people. In what ways are they similar to you? In what ways are they different from you?

Each of us is naturally drawn to and forms relationships with those who we share commonalities with but limiting our social circles to those who are like us helps to create an echo chamber. This echo chamber is often reinforced by the media we consume - a chamber that can, if we are not vigilant, allow our biases to operate unchecked. When Chimamanda Adiche says, "The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. . ." I immediately wonder how many of us have incomplete stories about the world we live in because of who we spend our time with-more importantly who we DON'T spend our time with.

Then, as an literacy educator, I immediately think about the implications for our classrooms. More and more, I am seeing educators take a critical lens to their libraries and the messages about our world and those who live in it that are challenged or reinforced there. But I feel like we are stopping short, and in some instances missing the point all together.

You can have a variety of races, abilities, gender identities, etc. represented on your shelves and still be racist, prejudiced, or homophobic in your practice and the way in which you live your life. If we stop at the presence of diverse (read my thoughts on that word here) literature on our shelves, we have missed the point. I fear that some of us have approached acquiring literature that accurately represents individuals from marginalized groups, like going out and looking for insert marginalized group friends. See, if you walk up and ask me to be your black friend, you aren't going to like my response. For some reason, though, we do not see dropping a book with individuals from marginalized groups into our classroom libraries and doing nothing else with it in the same way.

Lean in, if you have accurate representation in your library, but not in your curriculum and life, you may be reducing texts to your insert marginalized group friends.

We have to move beyond our shelves and into our kitchens, examining whose feet rest beneath our tables. We have to move beyond our shelves and into our places of worship, dismantling the truth that 11:00 on Sunday is still the most segregated hour in America-and merely a reflection of all of the other hours in many of our lives. We must move beyond our shelves and into our lives, because if our shelves are diverse but our lives are not, we are living a lie.

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Take out a sheet of paper and something to write with. I'm serious. I'll wait on you. Got it? Good. Let's go. Write down the names of the 5 people who are closest to you, not including children or your partner/spouse.

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by Cory Collins

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Finding Resolve After the New Zealand Mosque Shootings

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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@MuslimTeach

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Services Workshops Offered Past and Future Events Classroom Resources Share Your Voice Contact

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The Christchurch attack is the lead for most of Saturday's papers. The Daily Express headline reflects the words of the home secretary - that it was a "hate-filled attack on the values that unite us all".

The Guardian says the attack shattered the illusion that New Zealand was one of the few countries beyond the reach of global terrorism.

The i has a picture of an armed officer patrolling the streets with a young boy looking on - and the headline: "Innocence lost".

The Daily Telegraph describes the shootings as the first social media terror attack because it was streamed live by the suspect, wearing a body camera.

There's strong criticism of social media companies for their failure to remove copies of the video from their sites quickly enough.

The "i" says the tech giants face questions about the way their products have allowed the killer to broadcast the shootings around the globe - and about the way his supporters have shared footage.

In the Telegraph's view, questions must also be asked about the duties they face as hosts of content, particularly when there were warning signs that the killer was planning something.

The Financial Times says some mainstream news sites didn't acquit themselves well either, with several featuring the footage.

A commentator for the New Zealand Herald says that in the face of the horrendous losses suffered by the Muslim community, it's hard not to feel a sense of impotence.

But he says he knows that Christchurch will respond with the kindness that emerged in so many ways after the 2011 earthquake.

Reports continue to suggest that Theresa May is likely to win over Eurosceptic Tory MPs to her deal in next week's Commons vote - if she gives an indication that she will step down in the next few months.

James Forsyth writes in the Sun that one reason why this is so important is that there's an assumption she will try to stay if the deal passes.

He quotes a source as saying: "A situation where she gets the vote and stays is to some people the worst possible outcome."

Katy Balls in the "i" says the theory goes that if a Brexiteer was at the helm for the subsequent trade talks, the government would fare better in achieving a clean Brexit. There's a lot of resentment from Tory backbenchers at Mrs May for letting it reach this point, she adds.
Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning
And the Financial Times reports that several of the UK's biggest carmakers are being forced to press ahead with plans to close their factories next month, in spite of a possible delay to Brexit.

It says a delay would leave them with shut plants when they should be producing cars while Britain still enjoys unfettered access to the EU - but many are unable to move the dates because of workforce holidays and contractors doing repair and maintenance work.

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The Christchurch attack is the lead for most of Saturday's papers. The Daily Express headline reflects the words of the home secretary - that it was a "hate-filled attack on the values that unite us all". The Guardian says the attack shattered the illusion that New Zealand was one of the few countries beyond the reach of global terrorism.

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The suspected perpetrator of a massacre at two mosques in New Zealand displayed white supremacist symbols during the deadly assault that killed 49 people and triggered heightened security at mosques around the world.

The attack in Christchurch, the worst mass shooting in the nation's history, shattered the illusion that New Zealand was one of the few countries beyond the reach of global terrorism.

The carnage, described by New Zealand's prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, as one of its "darkest days", prompted prayers and vigils around the world, and revulsion that live footage of the atrocity was allowed to circulate on social media.

Ardern said she would consider a total ban on semi-automatic firearms after the alleged gunman obtained five guns legally. "I can tell you one thing right now: our gun laws will change," she told reporters.

Christchurch remained on lockdown on Saturday as the country's security threat level was raised from low to high. Mosques across New Zealand and in other countries were warned to be vigilant.

In the UK and the US, police stepped up patrols in areas with large Muslim populations and around places of worship in direct response to the attack.

Responding to the attack on Friday, the UN secretary general, António Guterres, warned there was an urgent need to tackle Islamophobia across the world.

A man in his late 20s will appear in court in Christchurch on Saturday morning, charged with murder. Police did not name him or two other suspects who were being questioned, but Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian man, identified himself as being behind the attack.

Some witnesses criticised the emergency services for being slow to respond to the shooting, claiming it took up to 20 minutes for the police to arrive on the scene in the largest city in the country's South Island.

The attack, launched during Friday prayers when both mosques were packed, was livestreamed via a camera strapped to the perpetrator.

Horrific images of bloodshed and people desperately trying to evade the gunman were copied and shared on social media sites including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, which struggled to remove the footage. Mainstream media organisations were criticised for hosting clips.

The gunman arrived at Al Noor mosque at 1.40pm, opening fire on about 400 people. He killed 41 people before driving four miles to the Linwood Islamic Centre, where another seven people were shot dead. One of the 48 people injured in the attacks later died in hospital. A bomb disposal team was called in to dismantle explosive devices found in a stopped car.

At Al Noor mosque, Khaled Al-Nobani said a man entered with two rifles, one a "pump-action [gun]", and "started shooting everyone - young people, old women".

He added: "He shot the first one on the gate, two people in the corridor, and go inside started shooting everyone." One man was killed in front of his three children, Al-Nobani said.

He claimed police took 20 minutes to arrive. "We are in the middle of the city. The middle of Christchurch. There was no traffic about. You need two-minute [maximum] response."

Carl Pomare and a colleague were driving past the mosque at the time of the attack. "I saw lots of people running outside the mosque ... In the next second there was rapid fire and people were being knocked down like tenpins. I saw them being hit from behind, I saw them falling to the ground," he told the BBC.

The pair stopped to help the injured. "There were lots of bodies and there was no sirens, no police or ambulance because this had just happened ... It was a scene of carnage - we were there for a good 15 or 20 minutes, just civilians, helping these people as much as we could until more support came in," Pomare added.

A survivor of the attack at Linwood described how a man tackled the shooter. "The young guy who usually takes care of the mosque ... he saw an opportunity and pounced on [the gunman] and took his gun," Syed Mazharuddin told the New Zealand Herald.

"The hero tried to chase and he couldn't find the trigger in the gun ... He ran behind him but there were people waiting for him in the car and he fled."

Images from the gunman's camera showed weapons and ammunition displaying white-supremacist symbols, including the names of a Swedish child killed in a lorry attack in 2017 and a man hailed for defeating Muslims in an eighth-century battle.

One ammunition clip had the words "For Rotherham", in an apparent reference to child grooming gangs in the UK town.

In a 74-page document posted online, Tarrant said he wanted to create "an atmosphere of fear" against Muslims and claimed the Norwegian white supremacist and mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik had given his "blessing" to the atrocity.

The document calls for the targeting of Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, along with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Describing himself as a "regular white man from a regular family" who "decided to take a stand to ensure a future for my people", Tarrant said he wanted his attack to send a message that "nowhere in the world is safe".

Ardern said the shootings were an extraordinary and unprecedented act of terrorism. Muslim immigrants had "chosen to make New Zealand their home, and it is their home. They are us," the prime minister said. "The person who has perpetuated this violence is against us is not us. They have no place in New Zealand."

World leaders expressed sorrow, shock and anger. The Queen - New Zealand's head of state - sent prayers and condolences to the bereaved, saying she was "saddened by the appalling events in Christchurch".

Pope Francis denounced the "senseless acts of violence" and offered solidarity and prayers.

Donald Trump expressed his "warmest sympathy and best wishes" to the people of NewZealand after "the horrible massacre in the mosques". The US president tweeted that "innocent people have so senselessly died" and added: "The US stands by New Zealand for anything we can do."

The British prime minister, Theresa May, called the assault a "sickening act of violence".

Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day. In New Zealand, the crisis support service Lifeline can be reached on 0800 543 354. In Australia, Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the UK and Irish Republic, contact Samaritans on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

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Christchurch attack: suspect had white-supremacist symbols on weapons

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The suspected perpetrator of a massacre at two mosques in New Zealand displayed white supremacist symbols during the deadly assault that killed 49 people and triggered heightened security at mosques around the world. The attack in Christchurch, the worst mass shooting in the nation's history, shattered the illusion that New Zealand was one of the few countries beyond the reach of global terrorism.

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Western tabloids condemned for 'humanising' NZ mosque attacker

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Social media users have condemned Western tabloid newspapers for their coverage of the New Zealand mosque attacks and their attempts to "humanise" the main suspect.

At least 49 people were killed and 40 others were injured in the twin attacks by Australian suspect Brenton Tarrant, 28, who allegedly shot dozens of worshippers in the New Zealand district of Christchurch.

Labelling him an "angelic boy who grew into an evil far-right mass killer" British tabloid, the Daily Mirror, released a photo of Tarrant as a young boy and described him as "a likeable and dedicated personal trainer running free athletic programmes for kids".

Reacting to the coverage, British columnist Owen Jones condemned the tabloid's coverage saying it had displaced the focus from the victims to the perpetrator, who he called a "terrorist".

There is absolutely no chance a newspaper would splash a childhood photo of an Islamist terrorist who murdered 49 Christians in a church as an "angelic boy". Displacing focus from the victims to oh how could such a sweet WHITE boy become a terrorist is abhorrent pic.twitter.com/pcQCOBzMpT
- Owen Jones🌹(@OwenJones84) March 16, 2019

British creative director Nooruddean Choudry also criticised the tabloid's headline saying that while the victims were ignored, Tarrant was being humanised.

What a perverse angle to take on such a barbaric act of terrorism. None of the victims are humanised or mourned. Instead the terrorist was an 'angelic boy' and the first paragraph describes him as 'hard-working'. Scumbags pic.twitter.com/A9x8mPd210
- Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) March 15, 2019

British journalist and BBC presenter Shaimaa Khalil criticised the headline and condemned the Daily Mail for the use of similar language, referring to Tarrant as the "ordinary white man" in its headline on Friday.

49 Muslims were massacred in 2 mosques during prayers.
But enough about them! Do tell us about the "Angelic boy" and the "ordinary white man" who mowed them down... @DailyMirror @MailOnline where to begin...#NewZealandMosqueAttacks #ChristchurchShooting pic.twitter.com/QiQG5IT9Jt
- shaimaa khalil BBC (@Shaimaakhalil) March 16, 2019

On Saturday, the Daily Mail reported that the alleged attacker's grandmother had reacted in disbelief to the incident, describing Tarrant as "a good boy".

While the majority of social media reactions have focused on British newspapers, Australian tabloids were also criticised for their coverage.

Like the Daily Mirror and the Daily Mail, several Australian tabloids focused on the main suspect, rather than the killings and included images taken from the livestream of the incident, despite requests from New Zealand and Australian police to not share the footage.

The front page of the West Australian showed images of the attack and reported Tarrant's description of himself as: "Just an ordinary White man, 28 years old. Born in Australia to a working class, low income family."

The page was shared in a now-deleted tweet by the paper's senior editor Anthony De Ceglie, reported the Guardian.

Similarly, the Australian Courier Mail called the suspect a "working class madman", while the Herald Sun's front page read: "Livestream slaughter".

Broadcaster taken off air

Sky New Zealand took fellow broadcaster Sky News Australia off the air because it was airing footage of the attack. The tweet below was a response to a question why Sky News Australia wasn't available in Christchurch.

We stand in support of our fellow New Zealanders and have made the decision to remove Sky News Australia from our platform until we are confident that the distressing footage from yesterday's events will not be shared #KiaKahaChristchurch Thanks, ^Sophie
- SKY New Zealand (@SKYNZ) March 15, 2019

Sky New Zealand later deleted that tweet replacing it with one that said the broadcast suspension was about protecting the integrity of the investigations.

We stand in support of our fellow New Zealanders and are working with our colleagues at @SkyNewsAust to ensure coverage doesn't compromise ongoing investigations in NZ. We made the decision on Friday with Sky News Australia to replace their live news with sport.
- SKY New Zealand (@SKYNZ) March 16, 2019

The Australian suspect, who appeared in a Christchurch District Court on Saturday, was charged with murder. He was remanded without a plea until his next appearance in the South Island city's High Court on April 5.

Handcuffed, shoeless, and wearing a white prison suit, Tarrant grinned but did not speak as he flashed an upside-down "okay" signal, a symbol used by white power groups across the globe.

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Western tabloids condemned for 'humanising' NZ mosque attacker

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Social media users have condemned Western tabloid newspapers for their coverage of the New Zealand mosque attacks and their attempts to "humanise" the main suspect. At least 49 people were killed and 40 others were injured in the twin attacks by Australian suspect Brenton Tarrant, 28, who allegedly shot dozens of worshippers in the New Zealand district of Christchurch.

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Stories of the victims of the New Zealand mosque attack

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An attack on a New Zealand mosque took the lives of 50 worshippers Friday and left dozens more wounded when a white supremacist opened fire and live-streamed the shootings. Here are the stories of some of those killed and wounded.

THE DEAD

HUSNA AHMED

Farid Ahmed refuses to turn his back on his adopted home, despite losing his 45-year-old wife, Husna Ahmed, in the Al Noor mosque attack. They had split up to go to the bathroom when it happened.

The gunman livestreamed the massacre on the internet, and Ahmed later saw a video of his wife being shot. A police officer confirmed she died.

Despite the horror, Ahmed - originally from Bangladesh - still considers New Zealand a great country.

"I believe that some people, purposely, they are trying to break down the harmony we have in New Zealand with the diversity," he said. "But they are not going to win. They are not going to win. We will be harmonious."

---

SYED AREEB AHMED, 26

Ahmed had recently moved from his house in Karachi, Pakistan, for a job in New Zealand to help support his family back home. On Saturday, Pakistan's foreign ministry informed his family that Ahmed was among those killed during the mosque attack.

One of his uncles, Muhammad Muzaffar Khan, described him as deeply religious, praying five times a day. But education was always his first priority, Khan said.

Ahmed was an only son who had immigrated to New Zealand for work, his uncle said.

"Education had always remained his first priority," Khan said. "He had gone to New Zealand recently where he got his job. He had only started his career, but the enemies took his life"

Family members, relatives, and friends have gathered at Ahmed's house to express their condolences. His body is expected to arrive there in the coming days.

---

FARHAJ AHSAN, 30

The software engineer moved to New Zealand six years ago from the city of Hyderabad in India, where his parents still live, according to the Mumbai Mirror.

"We received the disturbing news," Ahsan's father, Mohammed Sayeeduddin told the newspaper Saturday. Friends and family had been trying to reach Ahsan since the attack.

Ahsan was married and had a 3-year-old daughter and infant son.

---

ABDULLAHI DIRIE, 4

Four of Adan Ibrahin Dirie's five children managed to escape Friday's attacks, but the youngest, Abdullahi, was killed, his uncle, Abdulrahman Hashi, 60, a preacher at Dar Al Hijrah Mosque in Minneapolis, told the New Zealand Herald.

Dirie also suffered gunshot wounds and was hospitalized. The family fled Somalia in the mid-1990s as refugees and resettled in New Zealand.

"You cannot imagine how I feel," Hashi said.

He added: "He was the youngest in the family. This is a problem of extremism. Some people think the Muslims in their country are part of that, but these are innocent people."

---

ALI ELMADANI

Elmadani and his wife immigrated from the United Arab Emirates in 1998. The retired Christchurch engineer always told his children to be strong and patient, so that's what they are trying to do after the tragedy, his daughter, Maha Elmadani, told Stuff.

"He considered New Zealand home and never thought something like this would happen here," she said.

She said her mother "is staying as strong as possible. My younger brother isn't doing too well with the news."

---

ATTA ELYAN

Atta Elyan, who was in his 30s, died of his wounds from the shooting, Muath Elyan, his uncle, told The Associated Press.

His father, Mohammed Elyan, a Jordanian in his 60s who co-founded one of the mosques in 1993, was among those wounded, said Muath Elyan, Mohammed's brother, who said he spoke to Mohammed's wife after the shooting.

Muath said his brother helped establish the mosque a year after arriving in New Zealand, where he teaches engineering at a university and runs a consultancy. He said his brother last visited Jordan two years ago.

"He used to tell us life was good in New Zealand and its people are good and welcoming. He enjoyed freedom there and never complained about anything," Muath told the AP. "I'm sure this bloody crime doesn't represent the New Zealanders."

---

LILIK ABDUL HAMID

The longtime aircraft maintenance engineer at Air New Zealand was killed in the Al Noor mosque when he was killed, his employer said in a statement.

"Lilik has been a valued part of our engineering team in Christchurch for 16 years, but he first got to know the team even earlier when he worked with our aircraft engineers in a previous role overseas," Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Christopher Luxon said. "The friendships he made at that time led him to apply for a role in Air New Zealand and make the move to Christchurch. His loss will be deeply felt by the team.

Hamid was married and had two children, Luxon said.

"Lilik, his wife Nina and their children Zhania and Gerin are well known and loved by our close-knit team of engineers and their families, who are now doing all they can to support the family alongside our leadership team and the airline's special assistance team," he said.

---

MUCAAD IBRAHIM, 3

At just 3 years old, Mucaad Ibrahim is the youngest known victim of the attacks. He was separated from his older brother Abdi and their father when the shooting began at the Al Noor mosque.

After an agonizing search by the family, Abdi said police finally confirmed that the toddler had been killed.

Mucaad was born and raised in Christchurch. He was beloved by the community, known for his energetic demeanor and easy laugh. He was bright and bubbly, and loved playing with an iPad.

Ahmed Osman, a close family friend, said Mucaad used to cheer from the sidelines as Osman and Abdi played soccer on Friday evenings at a park near the mosque. The little boy had planned to watch them play soccer as usual on Friday. He never made it.

Osman said the support of the community has helped the family pull through.

"New Zealand is always behind us," he said. "Even when we walk down the street, people stop us and say, 'Are you guys OK?' That's what New Zealand is about. It's all about coming together. One person cannot stop us."

---

This story corrects the spelling of Mucaad Ibrahim's first name.

---

MOHAMMAD IMRAN KHAN

A handwritten cardboard sign outside Mohammad Imran Khan's restaurant, the Indian Grill in Christchurch, on Sunday said simply CLOSED. A handful of pink flowers laid nearby.

The owner of the convenience store next door, JB's Discounter, Jaiman Patel, 31, said he helped the staff with the keys after the terrorist attack that claimed Khan's life.

"He's a really good guy. I tried to help him out with the setup and everything," Patel said. "We also put the key out for them when the terrorists come, and sorted it out for him."

Khan had a son who was 10 or 11, Patel said.

The two were business neighbors who helped each other out when needed, he said.

"We are helping each other. It's so sad."

---

SAYYAD MILNE, 14

Milne was described as a good-natured, kind teenager. The high school student was at the Al Noor mosque for Friday prayers when the attack started, his half-sister, Brydie Henry, told the Stuff media outlet.

Sayyad was last seen "lying on the floor of the bloody mosque, bleeding from his lower body," she said her father told her.

Sayyad's mother, Noraini, was also in the mosque and managed to escape, Henry said. The teenager has two other siblings, 15-year-old twins Shuayb and Cahaya.

"They're all at home just waiting. They're just waiting and they don't know what to do," Henry told the news site.

---

JUNAID MORTARA, 35

Javed Dadabhai is mourning for his gentle cousin, 35-year-old Junaid Mortara, believed to have died in the first mosque attack.

His cousin was the breadwinner of the family, supporting his mother, his wife and their three children, ages 1 to 5. Mortara had inherited his father's convenience store, which was covered in flowers on Saturday.

Mortara was an avid cricket fan, and would always send a sparring text with relatives over cricket matches when Canterbury faced Auckland.

---

HAJI DAOUD NABI, 71

Nabi moved his family to New Zealand in 1979 to escape the Soviet-Afghan war. Days before the shootings, his son, Omar, recalled his father speaking about the importance of unity.

"My father said how important it is to spread love and unity among each other and protect every member of the society we live in," Omar told Al-Jazeera.

Omar told the news network his father ran an Afghan Association and helped refugees settle in to a new country.

"He used to make them feel at home," Omar said.

---

HUSNE ARA PARVIN, 42

Parvin died being struck by bullets while trying to shield her wheelchair-bound husband, Farid Uddin Ahmed, her nephew Mahfuz Chowdhury told The Daily Star , a Bangladesh newspaper.

Chowdhury said Uddin had been ill for years and Parvin took him to the mosque every other Friday. She had taken him to the mosque for men while she went to the one for women. Mahfuz said relatives in New Zealand told him when the shootings began, Parvin rushed to her husband's mosque to protect him. He survived.

The Bangladeshi couple had moved to New Zealand sometime after 1994, Chowdhury said.

---

NAEEM RASHID, 50, and TALHA RASHID, 21

As the shootings unfolded, Naeem Rashid is seen on video trying to tackle the gunman, according to Rashid's brother, Khurshid Alam.

"He was a brave person, and I've heard from a few people there, there were few witnesses . they've said he saved a few lives there by trying to stop that guy," Alam told the BBC .

Rashid's son, Talha Rashid, is also among the dead. Pakistan's Ministry of Public Affairs confirmed their deaths in a tweet .

The elder Rashid was a teacher in Christchurch and was from Abbottabad, Pakistan. His son was 11 when his family moved to New Zealand. He had a new job and planned to get married.

---

HUSSEIN AL-UMARI

An Iraqi who born in Abu Dhabi was killed in the attack on two mosques in New Zealand.

His mother wrote on social media that Hussein al-Umari was killed.

His family and friends had been seeking information on al-Umari, in his mid-30s, who had failed to return after going to Friday prayers at the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch.

His mother, an Iraqi calligraphy artist named Janna Ezzat, wrote on Facebook that her son had become a martyr.

Ezzat wrote: "Our son was full of life and always put the needs of others in front of his own."

---

INDIAN CITIZENS KILLED

India's ambassador to New Zealand issued the following names of Indian citizens who were killed in the mosque attacks:

- Maheboob Khokhar

- Ramiz Vora

- Asif Vora

- Ansi Alibava

- Ozair Kadir

Indian news reports said Alibava, 25, had moved to New Zealand last year after marrying Abdul Nazar.

The Indian Express newspaper said she was studying agriculture technology at Lincoln University and her husband worked at a supermarket in Christchurch. They got married in 2017.

The Manorama Online news site said her mother, Rasia, had prayed for the safety of the two when the news broke of the attacks.

Alibava used to call her family back in India every day, but they were worried when there was no call after the shootings. They later found out from the husband what had happened.

The report said she was hoping to find a job in New Zealand to support her family back home.

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MORE PAKISTANI VICTIMS IDENTIFIED

Pakistan's foreign ministry confirmed nine Pakistanis were killed in the Christchurch mosque attacks. They have been identified as follow:

Zeeshan Raza, his father Ghulam Hussain and mother Karam Bibi, Sohail Shahid, Syed Jahandad Ali, Syed Areeb Ahmed, Mahboob Haroon, Naeem Rashid and his son Talha Naeem.

Naeem Rashid and his son Talha Naeem, 22, died after trying to disarm the shooter.

Rashid's brother Dr. Mohammad Khursheed, who lives in Pakistan's garrison city of Abbottabad, received an emotional call from his sister-in-law telling him of his brother's death. He died along with his son Talha Naeem .

Khursheed said his brother had already bought his plane ticket to Pakistan for a May family reunion. "He was very brave. He snatched the gun and I think he saved many lives," Khursheed said.

Rashid had migrated to New Zealand in 2009. He was teacher here and same profession he had adopted there and so his wife.

Rashid's 75-year-old mother Bedar Bibi was devastated and wanted to fly to New Zealand for a last look at her son and grandson. "I want the New Zealand government should take me there so I can have one last look of my beloved son and my grandson Talha," she said.

The foreign ministry provided more information about other citizens who died in the attacks:

- Sohail Shahid, son of Muhammad Shabbir, age 40.

- Syed Jahanand Ali, age 34.

- Mahboob Haroon, son of Shahid Mehboob, resident of Rawalpindi, age 40.

---

THE WOUNDED

SABRI DARAGHMEH

A Jordanian man says his 4-year-old niece is fighting for her life after being wounded. Sabri Daraghmeh said by phone from Jordan on Saturday that the girl, Elin, remains "in the danger phase" and that her father, Waseem - Sabri's brother - is in stable condition.

Daraghmeh says the 33-year-old Waseem moved to New Zealand five years ago and that he described it as the "safest place one could ever live in."

The Daraghmehs are of Palestinian origin, but have Jordanian citizenship, like several others listed as Jordanian nationals among those killed and wounded in the mosque attacks.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said Saturday that at least four Palestinians were among those killed, but acknowledged they could have been counted by Jordan or other countries.

---

SHIHADEH NASASRAH

Shihadeh Nasasrah, 63, who was wounded in the New Zealand mosque shooting, said he spent terrifying minutes lying underneath two dying men as the gunman kept firing.

The assailant "would go out and bring more ammunition and resume shooting," said Nasasrah, speaking by phone from a Christchurch hospital where he was recovering from two shots to the leg. "Every time he stopped, I thought he was gone. But he returned over and over again. I was afraid to leave because I didn't know the safest way out. I died several times, not one time."

Nasasrah had attended Friday prayers at the Al Noor Mosque with his friend, Abdel Fattah Qasim, 60, who was killed in the shooting. Both were originally from the West Bank - Nasasrah from the town of Beit Furik and Qasim from the town of Arabeh.

Nasasrah said about 200 to 300 worshippers were in the mosque for Friday prayers, and that he and his friend were sitting in the front, near the imam, or prayer leader. The imam was delivering the sermon when the gunman burst into the mosque, he said.

"Panic spread all over the place," Nasasrah said. "Some started saying Allahu Akbar (God is great). We scrambled to leave toward a second door that leads to a hall and then to the street, but the bullets brought us down."

"Two people came on top of me, and he (the gunman) approached us and opened fire. Both were killed and I felt them dying," Nasasrah said. "I felt their blood. I myself was shoot and I thought 'I'm dying'."

He said he uttered the words that devout Muslims speak before their death - "there is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his messenger."

Nasasrah, a car dealer, said most of the worshippers were from Asia, including Indonesia, India, Singapore and Malaysia, and that Arabs made up a smaller part of the congregation.

The attack left him and other Muslims in the area worried and puzzled.

"I never heard a racist word in this country," he said. "I don't know what happened and why. I will not leave this country. Our lives are well established here, our homes, works, family is here and we will not leave."

As a young man, Nasasrah studied English in the Syrian capital of Damascus, and then worked as a translator at the New Zealand embassy in Saudi Arabia for 14 years. The father of three moved to New Zealand in 1990. His three children graduated from universities in New Zealand and have established their lives in the country.

---

MUHAMMAD AMIN NASIR, 67

Nasir and his son were just 200 meters (219 yards) from the Al Noor mosque on Friday when everything went wrong. They had no idea that a white supremacist had just slaughtered at least 41 people inside the mosque. A car that had been driving by suddenly stopped, and a man leaned out the window pointing a gun at them.

They ran as the bullets began to fly. But at 67, Nasir could not keep up with his 35-year-old son. He fell behind by two or three fateful steps.

The gunman drove away. A pool of blood poured from Nasir's body.

Nasir, who lived in Pakistan, had been regularly visiting his son in New Zealand.

He was on the third week of his visit when he was shot. He remains in an induced coma with critical injuries, though his condition has stabilized.

---

ADEEB SAMI, 52

As the rampage inside the mosque began, Sami was shot in the back as he dove to protect his two sons, Abdullah, 29, and Ali, 23, the Gulf News reported.

"My dad is a real hero. He got shot in the back near his spine in an attempt to shield my brothers but he didn't let anything happen to them," Adeeb's daughter, Heba, 30, told the Gulf News.

Sami, described by the Gulf News as a Dubai-based New Zealander of Iraqi origin, underwent surgery to remove the bullet and his daughter said he's recovering.

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Stories of the victims of the New Zealand mosque attack

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An attack on a New Zealand mosque took the lives of 50 worshippers Friday and left dozens more wounded when a white supremacist opened fire and live-streamed the shootings. Here are the stories of some of those killed and wounded.

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Christchurch shootings: Outpouring of UK support to Muslim community

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Vigils for the victims of shootings at two mosques in New Zealand have taken place in the UK, amid an outpouring of support for Britain's Muslim community.

The attacks in Christchurch, which have left 49 dead and at least 40 injured, have been condemned by public figures.

The Queen said she was "deeply saddened" by the shootings, and PM Theresa May called it "sickening".

It comes as police have increased patrols at British mosques to provide reassurance.

Senior counter-terrorism experts and members of the security services were also due to hold talks with the home secretary on how mosques in the UK can be best protected.

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'Stay strong'

The Queen paid tribute to the emergency services and volunteers who helped the injured, and said: "Prince Philip and I send our condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives.

She added that her "thoughts and prayers are with all New Zealanders" at this "tragic time".

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, in a joint message with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, called the attack "senseless", saying: "No person should ever have to fear attending a sacred place of worship."

They ended the message with the Maori words Kia Kaha, meaning "stay strong".

Mrs May also condemned the "horrifying terrorist attack", saying: "My thoughts are with all of those affected by this sickening act of violence."

She said the UK stood "shoulder to shoulder" with New Zealand.

"There can be no place in our societies for the vile ideology that drives and incites hatred and fear," the prime minister added.

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The attacks in Christchurch on Friday, the deadliest in New Zealand's history, happened as people were attending the mosques for prayers.

More than 40 people were wounded in what the country's prime minister Jacinda Arden described as one of the nation's "darkest days".

People gathered for prayers at mosques across the UK, including at the East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre, which urged its community to "be more vigilant than ever".

Meanwhile, Finsbury Park Mosque, whose worshippers were targeted in a terror attack in June 2017, shared a picture of flowers and a note of support which it had received from members of the local community.

Mohammed Mahmoud, who made headlines when he stood guard over a suspect after that attack in north London, condemned the shootings and called for greater action against far-right extremism.

Speaking at a vigil held at East London Mosque, Imam Mahmoud criticised those who perpetuated a "narrative of otherness" towards Muslims.

Akeela Ahmed, who belongs to a group of Muslim representatives which advises the government, also called on the British public to "come together" in order to "challenge the extremist narrative promoted by those who seek to create divisions".

Flags have been lowered to half mast at Downing Street and the Foreign Office, as well as in the British town of Christchurch in Dorset, which is twinned with its New Zealand namesake.

Mohammed Kozbar, the vice president of the Muslim Association of Britain, said Muslims in the UK would not be intimidated by terror attacks.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, shared a post on Twitter urging Christians to go along to Friday prayers at local mosques.

And the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, told the BBC that "an attack against faith anywhere is an attack on faith everywhere".

'Sadness, solidarity and anger'
By Alex Therrien from BBC News, at the East London Mosque
There was sadness and solidarity, but also anger, at a vigil at the East London Mosque, held in memory of the victims of the New Zealand attack.

Posters saying "no to Islamophobia" and "this will not divide us" were held up as Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and faith leaders gave short speeches. But among many of the gatherers the BBC spoke to there was also anger and fear.

Fear about whether such an attack could happen in the UK. And anger at what they see as the normalisation of Islamophobia in parts of the media and among politicians.

"These are the ones we should be pointing the finger at," said one man who refused to give his name.

"They are the ones who caused this."

The London mayor did not name politicians or the media directly, but strongly hinted at their role in influencing people and having a role in them becoming radicalised.

"There is a responsibility on all of us to be very careful in the language we use," he urged.

The mayor added that diversity in London was a strength, not a weakness. "We don't simply tolerate it - we embrace and respect it."

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was due to attend a vigil at Glasgow Central Mosque on Friday evening, and said the events in New Zealand "will feel very personal and close to home" for Muslims.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition, laid flowers at the High Commission of New Zealand in London, where members of an anti-terrorism group had gathered.

MPs have observed a minute's silence in the House of Commons.

British security minister Ben Wallace called the attack "repugnant" and said the UK "stands shoulder to shoulder with New Zealand against terrorism".

He said he and Home Secretary Sajid Javid would speak to counter-terrorism police chiefs and the security services on Friday, "to discuss what further measures we can take to protect our mosques and our communities from any threats here in the United Kingdom".

Mr Wallace added: "Our police and security services treat all threats the same and all terrorists the same no matter what communities, religion or background they come from. A terrorist is a terrorist and we shall deal with them exactly the same."

Bangladesh team 'minutes' from fatal shooting

'This can only be described as a terrorist attack'

More police at mosques

Mayor of London Mr Khan described the attacks as "heartbreaking".

He said that, after discussions with Scotland Yard, there would be "highly visible policing around mosques today, as well as armed response officers, as Londoners go to pray".

Met Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the national policing lead for counter-terrorism, said there was "no intelligence linking these appalling events in Christchurch to the UK".

Mr Basu said there would be more "reassurance patrols" near places of worship and specific communities in the "coming days". He added that specific attention would be paid to mosques.

Police Scotland and Greater Manchester Police also said patrols would be increased around mosques, but added there was no intelligence to suggest there was a specific threat.

Greater Manchester Police said "we know all too well the effects of terrorism".

Meanwhile, Met Chief Superintendent Nick Aldworth, who leads the government's counter-terrorism strategy, told BBC 5 Live that police would be assessing what impact the Christchurch attack could have on Britain.

"There's no doubt in my mind that, having seen what I've seen here, this is something that we within counter-terrorism should be responding to in the UK and ensuring our current plans and thinking is correct," he said.

Sir Mark Rowley, the UK's former head of counter terrorism at the Met Police until last year, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that although "Western societies have always had racist thugs" who commit crimes, in recent years they have become "more organised and with more terrorist ambitions".

He said he thought social media had played a role and was "a very big problem".

Downing Street and Home Secretary Mr Javid also criticised social media, saying Facebook, Twitter and YouTube should have been quicker to remove video footage - recorded by the gunman during the attack - from its platforms.

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Outpouring of support from UK after NZ attack

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Vigils for the victims of shootings at two mosques in New Zealand have taken place in the UK, amid an outpouring of support for Britain's Muslim community. The attacks in Christchurch, which have left 49 dead and at least 40 injured, have been condemned by public figures.

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Stories and images of all victims in an effort to humanize them instead of the terrorists.

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'Everybody Knew Each Other’

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Waiting outside a hospital in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday after attacks on two mosques in the city left dozens of people dead or wounded. Credit Credit Tessa Burrows/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - They arrived in New Zealand from across the Middle East and Asia, forming a tightly bound community of Muslims whose roots stretch to the mid-19th century. In recent years, migrants came to attend universities, open restaurants or to escape wars in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

It felt as if everyone knew everyone. Mosques were not for Pakistanis or Somalis or Bangladeshis, but for anyone in town.

So when a gunman stormed two mosques in the city of Christchurch during Friday Prayer, killing 49 people, the news moved quickly through New Zealand's nearly 50,000 Muslims and the wider Islamic world.
[Follow our live briefing here.]
Throughout the Middle East, Asia and Oceania, families frantically sought visas so they could race to the bed sides of the injured. And they tried to get someone in New Zealand to answer their calls.

"Nobody's answering their phones," said Nasreen Hanif, a spokeswoman for the Islamic Women's Council of New Zealand, which is based in Auckland, an 85-minute flight from Christchurch.

"We don't know if they're at the hospital or out of reach," she said. "Some have posted that they are safe, but others have not."

She said one set of parents was waiting to hear from their son.

"They were supposed to have lunch with him after prayers," she said.

Muslim leaders in New Zealand said mosques across the country, including the two that were attacked, tended to attract a multiethnic group of worshipers. Early reports suggested that those injured and killed reflected these diverse congregations.

Among the dozens recorded as missing were people from Egypt, Syria, India, Kuwait, Jordan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia, according to a site managed by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Fifty people were killed in shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday. Officials said a 28-year-old man had been charged with murder. Credit Credit Matthew Abbott for The New York Times

An official from Syrian Solidarity New Zealand told a local news outlet that a father was among those killed, and one family had a child missing and another in serious condition in the hospital. "They escaped death and torture in Syria, to come to New Zealand, and be killed here," the official, Ali Akil, said.

Local news reports in Hyderabad, India, identified one of those shot as Ahmed Jehangir, who had lived for 12 years in New Zealand, where he owns a restaurant.

His brother told The News Minute, an Indian news site, that two of Mr. Jehangir's friends were killed and that he was "struggling for his life."

Mr. Jehangir's family, hoping to help Mr. Jehangir's wife and two small children, were trying to get to New Zealand as quickly as possible, the article said.

Another family in Hyderabad was waiting to hear about Farhaj Ashan, who, according to The News Minute, had last been heard from before leaving for Al Noor Mosque, one of the two where the attacks took place.

A software engineer living in Christchurch with his wife, 3-year-old daughter and 6-month-old son, Mr. Ashan had gone to New Zealand for a master's degree at the University of Auckland in 2010, and stayed, the news site reported.

"Everyone has come back, but not my son," Mr. Ashan's father, Mohammad Sayeeduddin, 68, told The News Minute.

The Pakistan Association of New Zealand circulated on its Facebook page a form to be used by people looking for loved ones, asking for details like eye color and any distinguishing birthmarks or scars. The group listed six members of the Pakistani community it said were missing.

Muslim leaders across New Zealand stressed that the attacks were out of character for the country.

"Muslims have been in New Zealand for a long time, and Muslims have never had any issues in New Zealand," said Ibrar Sheikh, the secretary of Al Mustafa Jamia Masjid, a mosque in Auckland.

"Just because one or two individuals have taken this stand, it doesn't mean there is an attack on people living in New Zealand," he said.

He added that the mosques attacked in Christchurch were, like most in New Zealand, "a United Nations" of ethnicities.

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A mosque in Auckland. The attacks in Christchurch have drawn a tightly knit community even closer together. Credit Phil Walter/Getty Images

The first Muslims to arrive in the country were members of a British-Indian family who landed in Christchurch in 1854.

Larger-scale Muslim immigration began in the 1970s, with the arrival of families and students from the Pacific islands. The region of Canterbury, which includes Christchurch, has been an area of steady growth.

Abdullah Drury, a scholar who completed a history of Muslim migration in New Zealand two years ago, said the Muslim population in Canterbury grew enough that by 1977, a formal association could be registered and organized.

The group set up the first Muslim place of prayer on New Zealand's South Island in Christchurch three years later.

Muslim immigration accelerated in the 1990s and 2000s with arrivals from war-torn countries like Iraq and Afghanistan.

The 2013 census counted a national population of more than 4.2 million people, including more than 46,000 people who identified as Muslim, up nearly 30 percent from 2006.

Research shows that the majority of Muslims in New Zealand are Sunni, with a large Shia minority and some Ahmadi Muslims.

Now, said Ms. Hanif of the Islamic Women's Council of New Zealand, a close community must become even closer: Both mosques that were attacked on Friday had already reached out to ask for help with funeral arrangements.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand noted that many of the victims were immigrants.

"For many this may not have been the place they were born," she said. "For many, New Zealand was their choice, the place that they chose to come to and committed themselves to, the place they chose to raise their families."

Ms. Ardern said New Zealand was a haven from hatred, racism or extremism, and that is why it had become a target.

"We were chosen for the very fact that we are none of these things," she said. "Because we represent diversity, kindness, compassion, a home for those who share our values, refuge for those who need it. Those values will not and cannot be shaken by this attack."

Charlotte Graham-McLay reported from Wellington, New Zealand; Damien Cave from Sydney, Australia; and Benjamin Mueller from London. Ceylan Yeginsu contributed reporting.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: They Found a Haven From Strife, Only to Mourn. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe

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New Zealand Muslims Await Word From Mosque Attacks: 'Everybody Knew Each Other'

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WELLINGTON, New Zealand - They arrived in New Zealand from across the Middle East and Asia, forming a tightly bound community of Muslims whose roots stretch to the mid-19th century. In recent years, migrants came to attend universities, open restaurants or to escape wars in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

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Fifty people were killed in shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday. Officials said a 28-year-old man had been charged with murder. Credit Credit Cornell Tukiri for The New York Times

* New Zealand grappled with grief and horror on Sunday as the death toll rose to 50 people two days after a gunman opened fire at two mosques in the city of Christchurch. The terrorist attack appeared to have been carried out by a white nationalist who posted a racist manifesto online and streamed live video of the killings on Facebook.

* A 28-year-old man from Australia was charged with murder and appeared Saturday morning in a Christchurch courtroom. Court papers identified him as Brenton Harrison Tarrant. The New Zealand police said he would face additional charges.

* Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Sunday that the suspect would be tried in New Zealand, and that her government would discuss gun regulation at a meeting on Monday. "There will be changes to our gun laws," she said.

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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand at a mosque in Wellington, the capital, on Sunday. Credit Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Sunday that the suspect charged in the Christchurch shootings, an Australian citizen, would be tried in New Zealand, and that her government would discuss the country's gun laws at a meeting on Monday.

"There will be changes to our gun laws," she said at an afternoon news conference.

She also said she would look into reports that there had been a surge in gun sales in New Zealand since the attack on Friday.

A 28-year-old man from Australia has been charged with murder and appeared Saturday morning in a Christchurch courtroom. Court papers identified him as Brenton Harrison Tarrant.

Ms. Ardern said he would face more charges, but she did not say whether terrorism charges were being considered. She said she was seeking advice on whether Mr. Tarrant might be extradited to Australia, but that his trial would take place in New Zealand.

"He will certainly face the justice system of New Zealand for the terror attack he has committed here," she said.

There was no other shooter, Ms. Ardern said. She said one person had been taken into custody as a result of evidence collected during the investigation but that there was no evidence he was linked to the attack.

Nine minutes before the attack, Ms. Ardern said, her office was among more than 30 lawmakers and news organizations that received a manifesto purported to be from the gunman. In accordance with protocol, her office forwarded it to parliamentary security within two minutes of receiving it, she said.

Had the manifesto provided details that could have been acted on immediately, Ms. Ardern said, her office would have acted on them. She said she had read parts of the manifesto, which she called "deeply disturbing."

Ms. Ardern said the list of people killed was still provisional and that the families of victims would receive financial assistance. She said families would receive the bodies of victims starting Sunday evening, with all bodies expected to be returned by Wednesday.

The prime minister also said that Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook, had shared her condolences over the shootings, parts of which were live-streamed on the social media platform.

On Sunday, Facebook said it had removed 1.5 million videos of the attack that had been posted worldwide, including 1.2 million that were blocked at upload. The company said it was also removing edited versions of the video that did not show graphic content.

Thirty-four victims of the shootings remain in Christchurch Hospital, 12 of them in critical condition, officials said Sunday.

A 4-year-old girl also remains in critical condition at a children's hospital in Auckland, where she was flown after the attack.

A Christchurch Hospital spokesman, David Meates, said that on Saturday the hospital treated nine new victims of the Friday attack. They arrived with cuts, embedded glass fragments and injuries to their backs, knees and feet.

Mr. Meates said the hospital was running seven operating theaters on Sunday instead of the usual three.

"Many of these people need multiple surgeries due to the complex nature of their injuries, and the need to provide a number of shorter surgeries in a phased way so patients have the best chance of recovery," he said.
[Here's how to help the victims of the Christchurch shootings.]

The airline Air New Zealand said one of its employees, Lilik Abdul Hamid, had died in the attack on Friday.

The company's chief executive, Christopher Luxon, said in a statement that Mr. Hamid had been an aircraft maintenance engineer with Air New Zealand for 16 years.

"He first got to know the team even earlier when he worked with our aircraft engineers in a previous role overseas," Mr. Luxon said. "The friendships he made at that time led him to apply for a role in Air New Zealand and make the move to Christchurch."

Mr. Hamid is survived by his wife and two children, Mr. Luxon said.

Later on Sunday, the company PricewaterhouseCoopers said that one of its employees, Areeb Ahmed, had also been killed.

In a Facebook post, the company said it had learned of Mr. Ahmed's death from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan.

"Areeb was a loved and respected member of our PwC family who lived our values every day," it said. "His smile, warmth, dedication, respect and humor will be deeply missed."

The police on Sunday said the death toll had risen to 50 as officials discovered another body at the mosque on Deans Avenue, where most of the victims had been killed. Another 50 people were injured.

"As of last night we were able to take all of the victims from both of those scenes and in doing so we have located a further victim," said Mike Bush, New Zealand's police commissioner.

Mr. Bush said a list of victims' names has been compiled with the help of senior religious leaders and had been shared with family members. He said the list was an informal one, though, and officials would not confirm the names publicly until the bodies had been formally identified.

The bodies have not yet been released to the victims' families, but Mr. Bush said he was conscious that Muslim religious practice requires prompt burial.

"We are aware of the cultural and religious needs so we are doing that as quickly and sensitively as possible," he said.

Police officers near the Linwood mosque in Christchurch on Sunday. Credit Matthew Abbott for The New York Times

Police officials say it took 36 minutes from when they received the first call about a shooting at a mosque to when the suspect was taken in custody.

"That is an incredibly fast response time," said John Price, commander of the district police. "You have a mobile offender across a large metropolitan city, and I am very happy with the response of our staff."

During a news briefing on Saturday, officials provided a partial timeline but many details remained unclear. Officials said the gunman arrived at a second mosque, where he continued his rampage, seven minutes after leaving the first.

The suspect was later arrested in a car, which was carrying improvised explosive devices, by two police officers. Mike Bush, New Zealand's police commissioner, said the officers prevented further deaths.

"Those two police officers acted with absolute courage," Mr. Bush said on Sunday. "I'm so proud of what they've done. They have prevented further deaths and risked their lives doing so."

The shooting has vaulted New Zealand into what could be a divisive political battle over gun control in the country, where an extraordinary number of people own weapons, with few restrictions. The authorities say the suspect in the assault used five guns he had acquired legally, including two semiautomatic assault weapons.

Within hours of the Friday killings, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised changes to New Zealand gun laws and said regulations around semiautomatic weapons was "one of the issues." New Zealand's attorney general, David Parker, appeared to go beyond that statement at a vigil for the victims on Saturday, indicating that semiautomatic weapons would be banned, but he later backtracked. Mr. Parker told Radio New Zealand that had been trying to reflect Ms. Ardern's comments that "we need to ban some semiautomatics, perhaps all of them."

"Those decisions have yet to be taken, but the prime minister has signaled that we are going to look at that issue," Mr. Parker told the broadcaster.

Licensed New Zealand gun owners pushed back. The Kiwi Gun Blog, a gun-rights online publication, said that among the mosque shooter's goals, one was "to cause the gun rights of responsible New Zealanders to be attacked." It said "our prime minister is now capitulating with him."

There is no dispute that acquiring a military-style semiautomatic weapon is relatively easy in New Zealand, where guns are plentiful. According to a 2017 small arms survey, there are more than 1.2 million firearms among the population of 4.6 million.

Under New Zealand law, anyone 16 or older may seek a firearms license, and anyone 18 or older who has applied for a firearms license can seek a permit to possess a military-style semiautomatic weapon.

In the United States, the National Rifle Association, a leading advocate of gun-owner rights, issued its first statement on the attack, denouncing the killer while saying nothing about the weapons used.

"It doesn't matter if these senseless tragedies occur in the United States or abroad, our deepest sympathies are with the victims and their families," said Andrew Arulanandam, a spokesman for the group. "This was the act of a monster. To the extent the N.R.A. is ridiculed for extending our deepest sympathies to those impacted by this horrific event, we make no apologies for our thoughts, words or prayers."

Abdul Aziz, 48, was in the Linwood mosque praying with his four sons when he heard gunshots. He immediately knew something was wrong.

Rather than running from the sound, he ran toward it and grabbed the first thing he could find - a credit card machine - and flung it at the attacker. He tried to distract the attacker in a move that many fellow worshipers have described as heroic, weaving through cars in the parking lot, attempting to draw the gunman's attention away from the mosque.

Latef Alabi, the acting imam of Linwood, told The Associated Press he believed the death toll would have been far higher at the mosque without Mr. Aziz's actions.

Mr. Aziz said he saw the attacker drop one of his guns and managed to grab it but when he pulled the trigger, the gun was empty. When the gunman went to his car, presumably to grab more ammunition, Mr. Aziz said he threw the gun at the assailant's windshield, shattering the glass. The assailant sped away.

Mr. Aziz remained humble, saying in an interview with The New York Times that anyone in his position would have done the same. "I was prepared to give my life to save another life," he said.

Originally from Kabul, Afghanistan, Mr. Aziz lived in Australia for 27 years after having fled the violence of his home country. He moved to New Zealand a few years ago, describing it as a beautiful country.

Reporting was contributed by Charlotte Graham-McLay, Damien Cave and Jamie Tarabay from Christchurch, New Zealand.

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New Zealand Shooting Live Updates: 'There Will Be Changes' to Gun Laws, Prime Minister Says

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New Zealand grappled with grief and horror on Sunday as the death toll rose to 50 people two days after a gunman opened fire at two mosques in the city of Christchurch. The terrorist attack appeared to have been carried out by a white nationalist who posted a racist manifesto online and streamed live video of the killings on Facebook.

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watch this space

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CNN 10 is an on-demand digital news show ideal for explanation seekers on the go or in the classroom.

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#DisruptTexts                     Tricia Ebarvia @triciaebarvia  Dr. Kim Parker @tchkimpossible ,           Lorena German @nenagerman  & Julia Torres @juliaerin80   

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#DisruptTexts                     Tricia Ebarvia @triciaebarvia  Dr. Kim Parker @tchkimpossible ,           Lorena German @nenagerman  & Julia Torres @juliaerin80   

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Telling her story

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Systems of adversity: for the love of teaching | Rusul Alrubail | TEDxKitchenerED

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Internment Author Samira Ahmed Shares 6 Muslim YA Contemporary Authors You Should Have On Your Radar

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New Zealand Citizens Open to Gun Reform After Massacre 

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New Zealand Citizens Open to Gun Reform After Massacre 

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By Stephen Wright and Kristen Gelineau

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The New Zealand leader's promise of tightened gun laws in the wake of the Christchurch mosque shootings has been widely welcomed by a stunned population.

Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern said her Cabinet will consider the details of the changes on Monday. She has said options include a ban on private ownership of semi-automatic rifles that were used with devastating effect in Christchurch and a government-funded buyback of newly outlawed guns.

While curtailing gun owners' rights is a political battleground in the United States, Christchurch gun owner Max Roberts, 22, predicted Ardern won't face serious opposition to her agenda.

"There will be no opposition to it. There's no movement in New Zealand for that. Our media and politics are more left wing," said Roberts, a carpenter who uses guns for hunting.

Elliot Dawson, who survived the shooting at Christchurch's Linwood mosque by hiding in a bathroom, hopes New Zealand follows Australia's lead on gun control.

In Australia, a virtual ban on private ownership of semi-automatic rifles and a government-funded gun buyback cut the size of the country's civilian arsenal by almost a third.

The ban followed a 1996 massacre in which a lone gunman used assault rifles to kill 35 people in Tasmania state in 1996.

"Personally, I don't think guns should be legal at all. Maybe in some extreme self-defense, but I don't think they need such firearms like that," Dawson said. "New Zealand is not America. America is a totally different situation. I think in America it would be probably more dangerous to take people's guns away. But here, I don't think we need them at all."

Akshesh Sharma moved to Christchurch from Fiji to study. He was shocked that the shooter was able to get his hands on such military-style weapons.

Sharma agrees with the prime minister that gun laws need to be tightened.

"I don't see this as a place where you need guns to live to feel safe," Sharma said. "I can understand in the U.S. maybe, but here it's a different story."

Roberts, the gun owner, doubted banning certain types of weapons would be effective. But he said New Zealand should only allow its own citizens to buy guns. Brenton Harrison Tarrant, the Australian charged in the Christchurch shootings, obtained a New Zealand gun license in November 2017 and started legally amassing an arsenal of five guns within a month.

"I think when people harbor hate like, that these things are possible," Roberts said.

"Particularly Australian citizens, I don't understand how they can get access to firearms in New Zealand when New Zealand citizens can't get access to firearms in Australia," he added.

Ian Britton uses a rifle for shooting rabbits and target shooting. He favors outlawing assault rifles like those used in Christchurch because they're unnecessary.

"I can't use the words I'd like to use, but it's disgusting. I never thought I'd see that in this country," Britton said.

Ardern noted that attempts to reform had failed before under pressure from the gun lobby.

"There have been attempts to change our laws in 2005, 2012 and after an inquiry in 2017. Now is the time for change," she said.

___
Associated Press writer Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Australia, contributed to this report.

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us & world national and international news

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New Zealand Citizens Open to Gun Reform After Massacre

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The New Zealand leader's promise of tightened gun laws in the wake of the Christchurch mosque shootings has been widely welcomed by a stunned population. Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern said her Cabinet will consider the details of the changes on Monday.

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Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. In New Zealand, the process can take weeks or months. Here are the basic steps for how most people buy a gun in 16 countries. Some of them have exceptions for specialized professions, and local laws vary.

After 50 people were killed in shootings at two mosques, New Zealand's prime minister promised stricter gun laws. Existing laws are far more restrictive than those in the United States, and buying handguns and certain semiautomatic rifles requires a special permit. But unlike some countries, New Zealand doesn't require most guns to be registered.

United States 1 Pass an instant background check that considers criminal convictions, domestic violence and immigration status. 2 Buy a gun.

Many states have additional buying restrictions, including waiting periods and expanded background checks. Roughly a third of American gun owners buy guns without a background check, which federal law does not require when buying directly from a private seller.

Some countries require buyers to accurately hit a target or demonstrate safe handling procedures.

Authorities in South Africa, Australia and India may talk to people who know buyers and can vouch for them or raise red flags.

Mexico, Russia and South Africa have thriving black markets for guns. Only one store in Mexico sells guns legally, compared with more than 50,000 retail stores in the United States.

In response to a 1996 mass shooting, Australia officially made gun ownership a privilege, not a right. Gun owners must provide a valid reason for owning a weapon, such as for farming or hunting, and gun clubs must inform the authorities of inactive members.

Austria requires different steps to get a hunting rifle, including passing a written exam and shooting test.

"Cool off" periods are intended to reduce the likelihood of impulsive violence.

In addition to two character references, Canadians must list the names of partners they have lived with in the last two years, all of whom must sign the application or be notified by the police before a gun is bought.

The exact steps in India, as in many countries, vary depending on how local officials choose to enforce the law.

The Indian authorities may impound guns during an election to ensure that the vote is peaceful. Guns must be returned to their owners one week after the results are announced.

Germans who keep firearms in their homes agree to let the police conduct unannounced home inspections to check that they are kept safely. The United States has no requirement for how firearms must be stored.

Britain 1 Join a shooting club, or document hunting arrangements. 2 Ask for a character reference. 3 Arrange proper firearm storage. 4 Pass a background check that includes a police interview at your home. Your storage arrangements may be checked. 5 Buy a gun.

Some police forces may handle the background check with more diligence than others. The exact procedure varies.

Brazil requires authorization every time you transport a gun, including the first time you take it home from a gun dealership.

Many Russian gun buyers skip this process. Illegal guns in Russia are estimated to outnumber legal guns by a factor of 3 to 1.

Many countries, including Israel, also allow people with certain jobs to more easily obtain guns, including those in security, research and pest control.

China 1 Establish a specific reason to possess a firearm, such as for hunting or sports shooting. 2 Arrange to store your gun at a gun range, remote hunting ground or pastoral area. 3 Demonstrate knowledge of safe gun use and storage. 4 Pass a background check that considers mental illness, criminal record and domestic violence. 5 Buy a gun.

In China, most civilians are prohibited from keeping guns in their homes. Guns must be kept at gun ranges or in other authorized locations.

Yemen has the second-highest gun ownership rate in the world, after the United States. While Yemeni law states that buyers must obtain guns from licensed dealers and register with the authorities, the law is largely unenforced.

Reporting was contributed by Charlotte Graham-McLay from Christchurch, New Zealand; Damien Cave from Sydney, Australia; Isabel Kershner from Jerusalem; Iliana Magra from London; Oleg Matsnev from Moscow; Norimitsu Onishi from Johannesburg; Sergio Peçanha from New York; Suhasini Raj from New Delhi; Austin Ramzy from Hong Kong; Christopher F. Schuetze from Berlin; and Hisako Ueno from Tokyo.

Sources: GunPolicy.org; Law Library of Congress; Hans-Jörg Albrecht, Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law; Farea Al-Muslimi, Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies; Philip Alpers, University of Sydney; Adam Baron, Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies; Blake Brown, Saint Mary's University; Wendy Cukier, Coalition for Gun Control; Laura Cutilletta, Giffords Law Center; Nils Duquet, Flemish Peace Institute; Octavio Rodríguez Ferreira, University of San Diego; José Manuel Heredia, Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas; Nestor Kapusta, Medical University of Vienna; Adèle Kirsten, Gun Free South Africa; Daniel König, Medical University of Vienna; Jooyoung Lee, University of Toronto; Ivan Marques, Instituto Sou da Paz; Rela Mazali, Gun Free Kitchen Tables; Samara McPhedran, Griffith University; Binalakshmi Nepram, Control Arms Foundation of India; Thomas Niederkrotenthaler, Medical University of Vienna; Rebecca Peters, International Action Network on Small Arms; Sandhya Ramesh; David Shirk, University of San Diego; A.J. Somerset; and Peter Squires, University of Brighton.

Correction: March 6, 2018

An earlier version of this article included an incorrect requirement for gun purchases in Japan. Residents are not required to join a hunting or shooting club in order to buy a gun.

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Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. In New Zealand, the process can take weeks or months. Here are the basic steps for how most people buy a gun in 16 countries. Some of them have exceptions for specialized professions, and local laws vary.

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Australians are asking how did we get here? Well, Islamophobia is practically enshrined as public policy

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Australians are asking how did we get here? Well, Islamophobia is practically enshrined as public policy

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OP ED Jason Wilson, The Guardian

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Australians are asking how did we get here? Well, Islamophobia is practically enshrined as public policy | Jason Wilson

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Any 28 year old Australian has grown up in a time racism was quickly ratcheting up in the country's public culture

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To prevent another Christchurch we must confront the right’s hate preachers

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To prevent another Christchurch we must confront the right’s hate preachers

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The Guardian
OP Ed  Jonathan Freedland

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To prevent another Christchurch we must confront the right's hate preachers | Jonathan Freedland

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We have to tackle the pundits and populists who claim the west is under threat from Islam, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland

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Book lists via pernillesripp.com

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This year in English we have really been focused on learning about others. Others whose life experience may be so very different from our own. Others who have so much to teach us. Others who some may tell us to fear. So our collection of chapter books and books have grown with a focus on breaking down biases and broadening understanding. I, therefore, thought that it would be helpful for others to see which books have helped us do just that. Many of these books have been on other lists that I have posted, but there are a few new ones.

Picture books
La Frontera / The Border: El viaje con papá/ My Journey With Papa by Alfredo Alva (Contributor), Claudia Navarro (Contributor) Fish for Jimmy: Inspired by One Family's Experience in a Japanese American Internment Camp by
The Day War Came by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb is a picture book about when war comes to the life of a child. It is a beautiful reminder of the the normalcy before war.

After the war comes to Sarajevo a young boy finds beauty among the ruins in this picture book by John McCutcheon and Kristy Caldwell.

Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed, illustrated by Doug Chayka tells the story of life in a refugee camp and two young girls who share shoes.

Brothers in Hope by Mary Williams and R. Gregory Christie features the story of two of the lost boys of Sudan. Powerful discussion starter about hope, perseverance, and the reality of war.

Lost and Found Cat by Doug Kuntz and Amy Shrodes, illustrated by Sue Cornelison tells the true story of a family who loses their family cat as the must leave their home and travel to safety through Europe.

What's in a name? As educators, we know the inherent power of pronouncing a child's name correctly to make them feel accepted and included. This picture book from 2009 shares the story of Sangoel, a refugee from Sudan, and what happens when he comes to America. A must add as we try to break down walls and build understanding for others in our classrooms.

One of the most powerful picture books to be published in 2016, The Journey is about a family as they flee from war and the decisions they have to make as they search for safety. Beautifully illustrated this picture book packs a punch.

Also a picture book about a family that has to leave their country in search of safety, the artwork is all done by stone. With both English and Arabic text, I am so grateful for the vision of this picture book.

Why would a child set out on foot toward America, knowing that there were thousands of miles filled with danger ahead of them? This picture book illustrates the journey that more than 100,000 children have taken as they try to reach safety in the United States. Told in poetry, this picture book helps us understand something that can seem inconceivable.
A Piece of Home written by Jeri Watts and illustrated by Hyewon Yum
Fitting in. Feeling lost. Appreciate differences. What happens when a family chooses to move to the US and all of a sudden does not fit in anymore?

The Name Jar by Yanksook Choi (Having a name that no one pronounces correctly in the USA really makes me love this book even more).

Sharing the story of Oskar, a young boy who has escaped the horror of the Jewish persecution in Germany and arrives in America with only a photograph and an address of an aunt he has never met. He must make his way through the streets of NYC, but rather than being afraid, he sees the blessings he meets along the way. Another must add as we discuss refugees, and not being afraid of others in our classrooms.

Taken from his own life; this story of having to hide in a planetarium as the government looks for his activist father is one sure to get students talking. What happens when you speak up but the government does not want you to. Reminding us that even when it is scary, we should still stand up for what is right, and sharing the story of why some people have to flee, this is another must-add to your collection.

In The Seeds of Friendship by Michael Foreman a boy is not sure how to make a connection with others. That is until he is given seeds and he has an idea of how to make this new gray city more like home.
What happens when a father and his young daughter set out toward the border? In

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Books That Teach Us About the Experience of Refugees, Migrants, and Immigrants

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This year in English we have really been focused on learning about others. Others whose life experience may be so very different from our own. Others who have so much to teach us. Others who some may tell us to fear. So our collection of chapter books and books have grown with a focus on...

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What Schools Need to Know About Islamophobia 

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What Schools Need to Know About Islamophobia 

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How teachers can discuss New Zealand, violent extremism and Islamophobia | PBS NewsHour Extra

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Use this NewsHour lesson plan to teach your students about the shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the concepts of white nationalism and Islamophobia.

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Current Events In Your Classroom

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In this webinar, we discuss tips for making meaningful connections between current events and your curriculum and strategies for navigating partisan politics in diverse classrooms.

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The terrorist attacks that tore through the Muslim community in Christchurch also exposed ugly truths about New Zealand. By Toby Morris

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via @bourgeois1

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New Zealand shooting: Jacinda Ardern bans all military-style semi-automatic guns and assault rifles - live updates

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Prime minister announces buyback and says parts that can be converted into semi-automatic weapons are also now banned. Follow it live

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Jacinda Ardern bans all military-style semi-automatic guns and assault rifles – as it happen

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New Zealand shooting: Jacinda Ardern bans all military-style semi-automatic guns and assault rifles - live updates

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Prime minister announces buyback and says parts that can be converted into semi-automatic weapons are also now banned. Follow it live

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in solidarity

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Organisers of tomorrow's Headscarf for Harmony day say there are no rules around what sort of headscarf to wear or how to wear it, rather it's simply a way for Kiwis to show their support for Muslim women in New Zealand.

However, a furore has erupted with some calling the move oppressive and signalling women as subservient to men.

But an Auckland University Islamic scholar says he's proud of the initiative and believes Muslim women in New Zealand would be too.

The event is the brainchild of Auckland GP Dr Thaya Ashman who thought of the idea after seeing a Muslim woman on the news saying she was now too afraid to go outside because she wears a hijab.

Dr Ashman said she instantly wanted to do something for her and other Muslim women around the country and came up with the Headscarf for Harmony day tomorrow.

Before going ahead with the idea, she spoke to a close Muslim friend before approaching the Islamic Women's Council of New Zealand and the Muslim Association of New Zealand.

Both organisations had given their full support and had been humbled by the offer.

She also asked for advice for Kiwis around how to wear their headscarf or if there were more favourable colours to choose but the organisations had chosen not to advise due to the numerous intricacies involved in wearing one and people unnecessarily getting bogged down in too much detail.

Dr Ashman said they had also dubbed the scarf a headscarf rather than a hijab which also took away any cultural formalities.

However, many Kiwis on social media have written of their disgust of the event on twitter, responding to co-organiser Rachel McGregor's post calling it oppressive to women.

"Yes, women need oppressing. Funny, in Iran, the women protest and take their headscarf off, end up getting beaten and thrown in jail," one person wrote, while another said "Wearing a symbol of oppression and discrimination to mourn a massacre. Let that sink in".

But Dr Zain Ali, Islamic studies scholar at University of Auckland, said the initiative wasn't insulting to Muslim women.

"And is it insulting to people in general? No, because no one is being forced to wear the scarf. It's an idea and you're free to participate or not."

He also disagreed that by wearing the headscarf it was an oppressive gesture.

"Is the headscarf itself oppressive? No, I don't think it is oppressive. I think there are layers to the discussion."

Those layers included the Islamic/Muslim theology behind it within Islamic tradition, of which there were two main reasons for wearing it at its inception 1400 years ago - modesty and personal security.

"You have the original intent and over 1400 years later you have groups like Isis, who have just completely gone overboard and other Muslim countries as well where it's become part of the culture and tradition to the point where it's hard to wear anything else.

"Personally I think it shouldn't be forced on anyone, whether you're in a Muslim country or not."

Dr Ali said Headscarf for Harmony had "come from a good place".

"It's a way of showing solidarity and I don't find it insulting ... I think you can distinguish between the issues. The issue of womens' rights in Iran and Saudi Arabia and the Muslim world.

"But that shouldn't really stop you from showing solidarity with Muslim women here in New Zealand. By wearing a headscarf I don't think that means that you agree with what is happening in Iran or Saudi Arabia. You should be mature enough to make that distinction.

HEADSCARF FOR HARMONY

* Open to both men and women,
* No rules around how to wear your headscarf or what colour,
* Event runs all day,
* Participants can wear their headscarf for as long as they like,
* Men can wear it draped over their shoulders or wrapped around their wrist.

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Headscarf for Harmony about 'showing solidarity' with Muslim women in NZ

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Organisers of tomorrow's Headscarf for Harmony day say there are no rules around what sort of headscarf to wear or how to wear it, rather it's simply a way for Kiwis to show their support for Muslim women in New Zealand. However, a furore has erupted with some calling the move oppressive and signalling women as subservient to men.

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Stories of the 50 victims who lost their lives. 

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Stories of the 50 victims who lost their lives. 

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50 people lost their lives in Christchurch: These are their stories.

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Businesses rally to help reopen Christchurch mosque after mass shooting

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Christchurch businesses have rallied to ensure that the mosque at the centre of New Zealand's worst mass shooting is open to the Muslim community a week after the terror attack.

A gunman entered the Masjid Al Noor on Deans Ave about 1.40pm last Friday and shot dead 42 people as they prayed. The building was left riddled with bulletholes and stained with blood.

The police finished their investigation at the scene on Tuesday night. Since then, carpet layers, plasterers, glaziers, painters, builders and gardeners have been working to clean and repair the mosque so the Muslim community can return to pray there on Friday afternoon.

Friday is considered a sacred day for Muslims when they come together to pray as a community.

READ MORE: The end of our innocence

Stuff contacted businesses involved in the clean-up, but most declined to comment because they didn't want the publicity.

It's understood some have donated their time and materials.

The owner of a garden maintenance firm, who did not want to be identified, said several of his staff were pruning trees, mowing lawns and spraying weeds at the mosque free of charge.

Painters and other tradespeople were also at the site.

The businessman said he was approached by a "government agency" to carry out the work and had been told it needed to be completed by Thursday night so Friday prayers could be held at the mosque.

"It's not about our business, it's about trying to restore some normality back into the town. To help is a really good feeling."

The death toll from Friday's attack stands at 50. Forty two people were shot dead at the Masjid Al Noor and seven at the Linwood Masjid. A man died at Christchurch Hospital from his injuries.

Police said on Wednesday evening they were "working relentlessly" to allow the Muslim community back into the Masjid Al Noor for Friday prayers.

It was anticipated the Linwood Masjid would also be open this week, a spokeswoman said.

Police would maintain a presence at both mosques for the public's reassurance and safety, she said.

"We would like to thank the community and contractors who have helped us get the mosques back to their original states before these devastating attacks."

Anwar Alsaleh, 65, who hid in a bathroom at the Masjid Al Noor while the gunman killed many people he knew, said he would attend Friday prayers - also known as Jumu'ah - at the mosque if it reopened in time.

"I'm not afraid," Alsaleh said. "I'm lucky to be alive."

Many in the Muslim community would be nervous about returning to the scene where their friends and family were killed and injured and tight security was needed to make them feel safe.

Muslim Association of Canterbury president Shagaf Khan said he would pray at the mosque if it opened, as would many others in the Muslim community.

"Whatever has happened, it's not going to happen again. The majority [of the Muslim community] ... can't wait to go back because they want to ... pray as normal."

Khan said he understood Muslims from across New Zealand planned to converge on Christchurch for prayers on Friday and it was unlikely the Masjid Al Noor would have the capacity to accommodate them.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced there will be a national call to prayer broadcast on TVNZ and RNZ on Friday and two minutes silence to mark a week since the atrocity.

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Businesses rally to help reopen Christchurch mosque after mass shooting

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Christchurch businesses have rallied to ensure that the mosque at the centre of New Zealand's worst mass shooting is open to the Muslim community a week after the terror attack. A gunman entered the Masjid Al Noor on Deans Ave about 1.40pm last Friday and shot dead 42 people as they prayed.

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Auckland's public transport system will stop to observe a national two minute silence at 1:32pm, in remembrance of the Christchurch terror attack a week ago.

An Auckland Transport (AT) spokesperson told Newshub buses and trains will pause at their nearest stop where possible, and ferries will either slow down or hold their departure for the duration of the silence.

The silence will be observed as many return to Friday prayers for the first time since an attack on two mosques in Christchurch that killed 50 people.

AT announced the public transport pause on Twitter, saying it will honour those affected by the shooting.

Its contact centre and customer service centres will also be unavailable during this time.

"Thank you for your understanding and we hope that you join us for this moment of reflection," it said on Twitter.

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Christchurch terror attack: Auckland buses, trains, ferries to stop in remembrance

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Auckland's public transport system will stop to observe a national two minute silence at 1:32pm, in remembrance of the Christchurch terror attack a week ago. An Auckland Transport (AT) spokesperson told Newshub buses and trains will pause at their nearest stop where possible, and ferries will either slow down or hold their departure for the duration of the silence.

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Immigration NZ helping families sort visas after mosque attacks - 'Let's take that stress away from you

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Immigration NZ helping families sort visas after mosque attacks - 'Let's take that stress away from you

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Immigration New Zealand is appealing for family members of Christchurch mosque shooting victims to come forward so it can ensure their visas will allow them to stay in the country, and says it's facilitating the travel of victims' relatives to New Zealand.

Peter Elms of Immigration NZ says all visas currently in place still stand.

But some visas are linked to the "primary applicant" and that person may well have tragically died in last Friday's terror attack at two mosques.

"So those people will want to get surety about their own individual status. And that's why we want them to come forward so that we can transfer their visa, put in place an appropriate visa and give them that surety," Mr Elms told media in Christchurch this afternoon.

"What I'd say to the community out there - come forward, let's talk, let's put you on a visa, let's give you the surety and the confidence going forward. And let's take that stress away from you at this very anxious time," he said.

Mr Elms said many of the Muslim community are New Zealand citizens or residents, but some are here on temporary visas or visas associated with deceased people.

"The last thing they need is immigration worries on top of everything else that's going on. I implore people to come forward and make contact with us."

Immigration NZ has set up direct lines and email addresses on on its website for victims' families, or they could make contact through Victim Support or police.

Meanwhile, as of this morning, 129 visas had been issued to family members of victims to travel to New Zealand and a further 32 applications received in last 24 hours are being processed, Mr Elms said.

He said the emergency visa process is working very well and the department is turning round applications in 24 hours or less.

Last Friday's attack left 50 people dead and another 50 injured.

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Immigration NZ helping families sort visas after mosque attacks - 'Let's take that stress away from you'

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Immigration New Zealand is appealing for family members of Christchurch mosque shooting victims to come forward so it can ensure their visas will allow them to stay in the country, and says it's facilitating the travel of victims' relatives to New Zealand. Peter Elms of Immigration NZ says all visas currently in place still stand.

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The Front Page

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As the World Watches, New Zealand’s Leader Looks to Unify Her Country

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As the World Watches, New Zealand’s Leader Looks to Unify Her Country

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"How am I?" Ardern responded. "Thank you for asking. I am very sad."
Read: A shorthand of New Zealand's relationship with guns
To be sure, the specifics of New Zealand's response-gun control, a call not to publish the shooter's manifesto-aren't replicable in the United States, where the Second and First Amendments protect gun rights and press freedom, respectively. Nor would they be effective in Britain, where, despite the absence of constitutional safeguards, a freewheeling press would rather apologize and settle out of court later than contain itself in the immediate aftermath of such an incident. (Indeed, British outlets published not only the attacker's manifesto, but also footage from the assault itself.) Yet, over the past week, both of these countries, and the rest of the world, have watched the response in New Zealand in no small part because of how rarely it appears countries come together in this way.

The tone was set almost immediately after the attacks took place. Ardern tweeted, "Many of those affected will be members of our migrant communities-New Zealand is their home-they are us." It was a powerful message that resonates nearly a week after the worst massacre in the country's modern history. When Ardern met with the families of those killed and injured, she covered her head as a mark of respect. "The prime minister, when she came wearing her scarf, that was big for us," Dalia Mohamed, whose daughter's father-in-law was among those killed, told reporters. The response from New Zealand's citizens has been no less gracious.

"I think leadership in the aftermath of the Christchurch attack has defined New Zealand's reaction," Rebecca Wright, the New York-based correspondent for New Zealand's 1 News, told me. "Jacinda Ardern has met this moment with compassion, with empathy, with love, and also, crucially, she has met it with strength."
Read: How white-supremacist violence echoes other forms of terrorism
Across the country, New Zealanders, unaccustomed to violence on this scale, performed the haka, the traditional Maori dance that has been made famous by the country's rugby team. Rival motorcycle gangs came together Wednesday to perform the dance outside the Al Noor Mosque, where most of the killings occurred. "We came here out of respect for the fallen, and that's why we did the haka; it's a sign of respect," Hamish Hiroki, the national president of the Bandidos motorcycle gang, told Reuters. In Auckland, students at New Zealand's largest Muslim school also performed the haka.

The shootings have also prompted self-examination about racism in the country. "For the first time, New Zealanders are having to confront [that] yes, there is racism that exists in our country; that words matter; that casual racism exists here," Wright said. "And they're meeting the conversation head-on."

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national president of the bandidos motorcycle gang

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As the World Watches, New Zealand's Leader Looks to Unify Her Country

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"How am I?" Ardern responded. "Thank you for asking. I am very sad." Read: A shorthand of New Zealand's relationship with guns To be sure, the specifics of New Zealand's response-gun control, a call not to publish the shooter's manifesto-aren't replicable in the United States, where the Second and First Amendments protect gun rights and press freedom, respectively.

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Thousands of people are pledging to form human chains outside mosques tomorrow, as Muslims head inside to pray.

The police in Christchurch are hoping to reopen the Al Noor Mosque in Deans Ave in time for Friday prayer, one week from the terror attack which left 50 people dead.

Some affected families are eager to return, to pray for their loved ones and for their own safety. But others can't fathom returning to their place of worship - the memories are too raw.

In a bid to help worshipers return to their local mosque, hundreds of people are offering to stand outside, on guard, offering a protective layer from any outside threats.

Jatinder Saggar has invited the people of Christchurch to join him on Friday for the afternoon prayer.

He wants to link hands with others and stand watch outside Al Noor Mosque - and more than 2500 others on his Facebook page are keen to join him.

"We are together if anything happens. Our main motive is to make a wall around, a human shield you could say, around the mosque," Mr Saggar said.

"We want to show we are together, we are united and we are there for any evil that happens to any community. We are there."

Away from Christchurch the response has been the same, with Lachlan Mackay expecting big crowds for afternoon prayer at Kilbirnie's mosque, in Wellington.

"It's a powerful symbol, and it's been done across Europe and the States when we've had previous incidents like these," Mr Mackay said.

"Communities, different faiths and ethnic communities, come together and form a human chain to protect a place of worship.

"I mean, nobody should avoid their sacred place of worship for fear of being attacked or discriminated against."

Joining Mr Mackay outside the Kilbirnie mosque will be Wellington's senior Catholic clergyman, Cardinal John Dew.

"We want to say that people of all faiths should be able to unite and care for one another," Cardinal Dew said.

"That's the sort of intention in saying, we'll gather outside and keep watch while you pray."

Cardinal Dew said the Muslim faith was one built on peace and kindness.

"If we can show peace and positivity towards one another, we're helping people everywhere to see that all faiths are faiths of peace."

Carolyn Robertson is also trying to support the Muslim community, asking women to wear a headscarf on Friday in Christchurch.

"I think the main thing is that people just wear them as they go about their normal day," Ms Robertson said.

"There are some events happening on Friday where people are standing outside the mosque, and I imagine people will wear them there.

"So far, on Facebook, there's about 3000 people who've said they're interested, and there's a parallel event in Auckland with about the same number of people, so there's thousands of people around the country who've said they'll be doing it."

The Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, acknowledged the community support for Muslims and said the government would also offer its support.

"There is a desire to show support to the Muslim community as they return to mosques, particularly on Friday," Ms Ardern said.

"There is also a desire amongst New Zealanders to mark the week that has past since the terrorist attack.

"To acknowledge this, there will be a two minutes silence on Friday. We will also broadcast nationally, via TVNZ and Radio New Zealand, the call to prayer."

With people throughout the nation uniting around their local Islamic communities, those involved share a single sentiment.

The man responsible for Friday's horrific attacks failed in his goal to divide the nation.

Instead, as Jatinder Saggar said, he united the nation.

"You can see we are becoming stronger. Whatever his motive was, we are coming together to say, that is not New Zealand.

"We are coming together stronger, and we are more together."

Canterbury police have been made aware of a number of planned events in Christchurch, and are planning to have a presence at each event.

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Symbolic human 'walls' planned around reopened mosques

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Thousands of people are pledging to form human chains outside mosques tomorrow, as Muslims head inside to pray. The police in Christchurch are hoping to reopen the Al Noor Mosque in Deans Ave in time for Friday prayer, one week from the terror attack which left 50 people dead.