Heroes who stood up to Christchurch shooter: 'We would all probably be gone'

RT
Mon, 18 Mar 2019 18:26 UTC

© Reuters / Jorge Silva

‘We would all probably be gone’: Heroes who stood up to Christchurch shooter
Mourners lay flowers outside the Masjid Al Noor mosque in Christchurch

As New Zealanders of all races and religions gather to pay respect to the dozens of victims of Friday's deadly mass shooting, stories of those who heroically tried to thwart the attacker are coming to light.

28-year Australian Brenton Tarrant opened fire on the congregations of two Christchurch mosques as worshippers gathered for Friday prayers, killing 49 and injuring dozens others. However, if it wasn't for the courageous actions of several people, the death toll may have been much higher.

At the scene of the first attack in the al Noor Mosque, Naeem Rashid was left badly wounded after he launched himself at the attacker in an attempt to shield other worshippers from the gunman's bullets. The Pakistani later died from his wounds in hospital.

A banker in his native Pakistan, Rashid moved to Christchurch several years ago, where he worked as a teacher. Tragically, Rashid's 21-year-old son, Talha, also lost his life in Friday's attack.

At the second location at the nearby Linwood mosque, Abdul Aziz overpowered and later chased Tarrant out of the mosque. Grabbing the first thing he could find as a weapon, a credit card reader, Aziz then followed the gunman screaming into the carpark. He later managed to pick up a shotgun abandoned by the killer after a cat-and-mouse chase between the parked cars. Aziz threw the shotgun through the window of Tarrant's vehicle as the killer fled.

Latef Alabi, the mosque's acting imam, said that if it wasn't for the quick and heroic thinking of Aziz, a refugee from Afghanistan, "then we would all probably be gone."

Outside the mosques, those working or passing nearby rushed to aid the victims before emergency services arrived. Jill Keats was on her way to the mall when she stopped after one victim fell at her car door at the al Noor mosque. Pulling him to safety, she later dressed his wounds and rang his wife to tell her to meet him at the hospital. "I never thought in my life I would see something like this. Not in New Zealand," she told the media.

Comment: Tributes pour in for the heroes of the massacre:

A Pakistani man who died after heroically throwing himself in front of the gunman who attacked two New Zealand mosques on Friday, will be bestowed with a posthumous national award, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said Sunday.

Father-of-three Naeem Rashid, 49, was among nine Pakistani citizens killed in the shootings, which targeted Friday prayers in two mosques in the city of Christchurch. His 21-year-old son Talha Naeem is also among the 50 people who lost their lives.

Writing on Twitter, Khan said: "We stand ready to extend all our support to the families of Pakistani victims of the terrorist attack in Christchurch. Pakistan is proud of Mian Naeem Rashid who was martyred trying to tackle the White Supremacist terrorist & his courage will be recognized with a national award."

Stories of Rashid's bravery came to light on Saturday, after he was identified in the video of the attacks recorded by the gunman and posted online. He was left badly wounded after he tried to tackle the shooter at the Al Noor Mosque, later dying of his injuries in the hospital.

"I still can't understand or believe why and how this happened," Rashid's wife Ambreen told the Khaleej Times. "But, I do know that my husband is a hero. He always helped people and even in his last moments, he did what he could to help others."

New Zealanders remember the victims:

Members of one of New Zealand's most prominent street gangs are among those who performed an emotional Maori ceremonial dance, in memory of the victims of Friday's deadly mass shooting at two Christchurch mosques.

Standing near the cordon outside the Al Noor Mosque, members from the Black Power gang performed their tribute while surrounded by dozens of mourners, who gathered on Sunday to leave flowers and pay their respects to the victims.

Speaking ahead of the performance, the leader of the group said, "we are gathered here to express our love and sadness... this is all our community."

Sunday's vigil was one of several events that attracted thousands across the country. Over NZD$5 million (US$3.42 million) has been raised to support the families of the victims.

Made up of predominantly Maori and Polynesian members, Black Power is one of the biggest and oldest gangs in New Zealand. The haka is a ceremonial Maori dance made famous by New Zealand's rugby team, who perform it before every game. Several versions of the dance exist for different occasions such as funerals, when welcoming distinguished guests, and honoring great achievements.

Black Power's touching tribute was just one of several haka dances performed by mourners across New Zealand and Australia this weekend and shared on social media in honor of the victims.