Haka honours victims of New Zealand mosque massacre

New Zealanders have defied fears of further violence and coronavirus to mark the first ­anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks.

Members of the Tu Tangata Iwi Tapu motorcycle club perform a haka outside the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch on Sunday. Picture: Aaron Francis

New Zealanders have defied fears of further violence and the coronavirus to mark the one-year ­anniversary of the Christchurch terrorist attacks.

The abrupt decision by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to cancel a planned memorial service out of fear it would become a vector for new infections deterred some, but not all.

From early Sunday morning, people began arriving at Al Noor Mosque, drawn by curiosity and respect.

Women from Australia and Malaysia, who travelled to pay their respects to victims, stand outside the entrance of Masjid An-Nur mosque on Sunday. Picture: Getty Images

Al Noor was one of two mosques attacked by Australian-born gunman Brenton Tarrant on March 15 last year, and in the 12 months since its had its fair share of visitors.

Yesterday they came again. There were not a lot of visitors — no more than a few hundred. But that suited the congregation at Al Noor just fine.

The idea of a large public memorial never sat well with Christchurch’s Muslims who, like most Muslim communities, prefer to deal with death quickly and with modest ceremony.

Kimberely McCormack arrived at Al Noor with her husband, Mark, and two children Madisyn, 8, and Beuden, 3, just before lunch time.

Like most, they came with nothing except flowers, goodwill and a trace of curiosity about a mosque they’d driven past dozens of times but never actually stopped to visit.

“We wanted to show them that a year on we’re still thinking about them,’’ Ms McCormack told The Australian.

If there has been an upside to last year’s terrible act of violence, it has been to bring the community of Christchurch closer together.

Students from Marlborough Girls College in Blenheim hold hands and sing at the entrance to the of the mosque. Picture: Getty Images

Most Christchurch locals knew little about their city’s small but ­vibrant Muslim community. Fewer still knew about Al Noor or the Linwood Islamic Centre, the other mosque targeted by Tarrant.

Fifty-one people were killed during last year’s right-wing terror attacks.

Many of the people to pay their respects were there that day.

They limped in on walking sticks or crutches, the physical wounds, like their psychological wounds, yet to heal.

At the mosque’s gates a member of the congregation wearing a high-vis vest and a thousand-watt smile greeted the public.

“Come in,’’ he said, as people approached tentatively to lay flowers.

Few had even been inside a mosque, much less Al Noor.

Inside the gates, a trestle table bore hundreds of free copies of the Koran. Women were offered headscarves and invited inside.

Derek Tate from the Tu Tanoata Iwi Tapu motorcycle club is greeted by Imam Gamal Fouda outside. Picture: Aaron Francis

A children’s learning centre had been set up inside.

At lunch time, about 80 members of the Tu Tangata Iwi Tapu club, a registered motorcycle club, turned up. Clad in black leathers, they cut a formidable sight as they walked down the street, which had been cordoned off by the police.

Unlike most of the visitors yesterday, they were not strangers to the mosque, or its congregation.

In the aftermath of the shooting they had formed part of a loose community protection detail that stood guard outside as the faithful filed in and out, still shattered by grief.

Derek Tait said the club wanted to show its respect.

“It’s a show of strength, a show of unity,’’ he said.

Once they had been greeted by Al Noor’s imam, Gamal Fouda, they took their positions opposite the mosque and performed a haka with such ferocity it virtually shook the pavement.

“It happened on our watch,’’ Mr Tait said afterwards. “A year’s not a long time.’’