Unity Week helps heal scars of Christchurch mosque attack seven years later

Hundreds of people gathered in a shady grove at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, surrounded by bird song and the hum of cicadas, to remember one of the darkest days in the city's history.

A formal ceremony to mark the seventh anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks brought together loved ones of the 51 shuhada (martyrs) killed by a white supremacist terrorist on 15 March, 2019, those injured in the attacks, first responders including representatives from Police and Hato Hone St John, members of the public and politicians.

Following a moment of silence, the names of the 51 dead were read out, interspersed with the tolling of the city's World Peace Bell following each name.

Wreaths were later laid by dignitaries, including Mayor Phil Mauger, MPs Megan Woods and Matt Doocey, Senior Sergeant Roy Appley, who led the police communications centre on the day of the attack, and St John national youth manager Kerry Mitchell.

Many attendees gathered first at the Bridge of Remembrance, as part of the Walk the Talk for Unity event, making their way from the city centre to the gardens carrying signs and 51 prayer mats.

The Sakinah Community Trust - a not-for-profit started by seven bereaved women after the attacks - organised the Unity Week events.

Chair Dr Hamimah Ahmat said the mats represented each of those killed at prayer, but the impacts rippled across the whole community, including the families and friends of those killed, and the many injured who live with the memories every day.

"We're not just talking about 51," she said. "We are talking about the families of the 51, we're talking about the friends of the 51s, the neighbours of the 51s, and then not forgetting the people who were physically injured and their families, who continue to live through and go through the memory of March 15th."

Everyone grieves differently, Ahmat said, and would acknowledge the day in different ways.

"Alhamdulillah [thank God], we are thankful that, as people grieve and heal, more and more are starting to support this kaupapa and support this idea."

Initially, non-Muslims struggled with how to express their sorrow over 15 March, because they feared it could be culturally inappropriate or disrespectful, Amhat said. The focus on unity and bringing people together was a key part of the Islamic tradition, and the group was happy to pave the way to remembering lost loved ones even from the depths of their grief.

"It wasn't just Muslims that were directly impacted. In many different ways, everyone - the whole of New Zealand, including people of non-faith - were also affected and impacted by what happened to this beautiful country, by a person that they did not invite."

She said the organisation's Unity Summit conference had talked at length about how moving the nation forward would take many hands, including the hands and voices of young people.

In the future, Amhat hoped to see Unity Week events happening around the country, not just in Christchurch.

Australian activist Robert Martin was invited, alongside Melbourne imam Alla Elzokm, to take part in the Unity Summit and speak at the unity walk.

He said his visit had been deeply moving and he had been inspired by the resilience of the community, but he was taken aback at the lack of publicity surrounding the event.

"There's nothing - signs, TV ads, radio ads, anything about the commemoration. I can't believe there isn't anything.

"These poor families need something they can go to, other than just a tombstone."

Christchurch man Nicholas Witte took part in commemorative events for the first time, and it had been a pleasure and an honour.

"I'm here with other fellow members of my community. We're Jewish, we want to express our wholehearted support for this.

"It's a completely authentic expression of what we believe.

"Very early on in our historic teachings, we're told B'tselem elohim - all human beings are made in the image of God - it's something we take completely seriously."

Kathleen Gallagher attended to honour the lives of two lifelong friends of her sons, who were killed in the attacks.

She said the compassionate way Ōtautahi responded to the devastating attacks was the most important thing, something the world needed more than ever.

A senior adviser at Norway's 22nd July Centre, Anne Talsnes said images of Sunday's march were engraved in her memory.

"Walking around with those 51 mats, it will forever stay with me."

Talsnes - whose background was in memory studies, a multidisciplinary field that examined the politics of memory, and what societies choose to remember or not - works at the centre set up four years, after the massacre carried out by Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik in July 2011, killing 77.

There were a lot of similarities in communities that went through what our communities had gone through, she said.

Talnes said she could not yet judge how New Zealand was processing the memory of 15 March, but it stood out how the commemorations were community led and how much the faith community had taken agency over what happened to them.

"They own their own story, and they're incredibly resilient and open-hearted."

Norwegians had to confront many unpleasant conversations in the effort to confront the horrors of the 2011 attacks.

"We couldn't keep just talking about the love and the unity that came out of it," she said. "We also had to address the source and the ideology behind it, which took a long time."

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