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Christchurch Massacre: New Zealand Broadcast Friday Azaan In Solidarity With Muslims

CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand has broadcast the Friday Azaan and observed a two-minute silence in solidarity with Muslims to mark a week since the Christchurch mosque attacks.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and thousands of others congregated in leafy Hagley Park opposite the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch to observe the call to prayer.

“New Zealand mourns with you. We are one,” said NZ prime minister in a short speech.

“We are broken-hearted, but we are not broken. We are alive, we are determined to not let anyone divide us,” Imam Fouda told the gathered crowd.

“The leadership of NZ premier is a lesson for the world,” he added.

The Muslim call to prayer broadcast nationally across all free-to-air TV and radio stations. Women all over New Zealand put on headscarves to show solidarity with Muslims.

Ardern, who swiftly denounced the attack as terrorism, announced a ban on military-style semi-automatic and assault rifles under tough new gun laws on Thursday.

Most victims of New Zealand’s worst mass shooting were migrants or refugees from countries such as Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Somalia, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.