Four years after Christchurch Attack: Healing Through Unity
4 years ago on on March 15, 2019 was when the attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand had happened. Victim’s families were left to pick up the pieces and had to find ways carry on with their life.
For Noraini Abbas, the tragedy was a call to action as she lost her youngest son was lost in the attack, and she wanted to make a difference in her community and help curb the hate that led to such violence.
Abbas found healing and purpose in hosting a friendly futsal event for school children aged 10 to 14. The event, which is now in its second year, brings together the community and helps people remember what they did for their Muslim neighbors on March 15, 2019.
But Abbas is not alone in her journey. Other mothers who lost children in the attack are working to create change in their own ways. Rosemary Omar, the mother of Tariq Omar, who was 24 when he died, is helping coordinate feedback and questions for the government from Muslims in Christchurch about progress on a wide-ranging work program committed to after an inquiry into the attacks.
Despite the efforts of these mothers and the wider community, progress has been slow, and many still seek catharsis and facts. The fourth anniversary of the tragedy is fraught and tinged with uncertainty, but there is hope that healing can come through unity.
