Terrorist spared no one in New Zealand attack

ANKARA

The white supremacist terrorist who carried out last week’s attacks on two New Zealand mosques did not even spare women and children as he opened fire on worshippers during Friday prayers.

At least 50 Muslims were killed and as many injured when Australian-born Brenton Tarrant, 28, entered the Al Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch and shot indiscriminately at those inside.

Tarrant has been charged over the massacre and is being held at a maximum-security prison in Auckland with no access to print or online media.

Four children under the age of 18 were shot dead in cold blood and other children are still being treated at nearby hospitals.

Mucad Ibrahim

Three-year-old Mucad Ibrahim, born in New Zealand to a Somali family, is so far the youngest child confirmed to have been killed at Al Noor mosque.

His father and brother survived the attack by playing dead. But Mucad, who was too young to understand what was going on, stood up and ran around.

He was shot and died in his father’s arms.

“He was a Muslim-born Kiwi who was full of energy, love and happiness,” said his family in a statement.

Kiwi is the nickname used internationally for people from New Zealand.

“He is remembered in our community as a young boy who emanated nothing but the representation of God’s love, peace and mercy.”

“Knowing that New Zealand and the whole world stands behind our boy reassures us that violence and racism are unwelcome in our world,” they said.

His brother Abdi's words on Facebook still resonate.

"Will miss you dearly, brother” he said.

Abdullah Dirie

Four-year-old Abdullah, the youngest of the family, was with four siblings at the mosque who all survived the attack.

His family had fled war-torn Somalia in the mid-1990s as refugees and settled in New Zealand.

His uncle, Abdulrahman Hashi, a preacher at a mosque in the U.S. city of Minneapolis, told the New Zealand Herald that the terror attack was a problem of extremism.

“Some people think the Muslims in their country are part of that, but these are innocent people," he said.

Sayyad Milne

“I’ve lost my little boy. He just turned 14,” Sayyad Milne’s father, John, told The New Zealand Herald, crying throughout the interview.

Sayyad, a year 10 student who loved to play soccer, was one of two Cashmere High School students killed in the terror attack along with year 12 student Hamza Mustafa.

“He proved himself to be not only a truly outstanding goalkeeper but a great friend and colleague, a real team player with a fabulous attitude and a warm and friendly personality,” St. Albans Shirley Football Club said in a statement on Facebook.

“Sayyad was one of our own, and we will always remember him.”

Hamza Mustafa

Sixteen-year-old Hamza Mustafa instinctively called his mother when the shooting began at Al Noor mosque.

“He said ‘Mum, there’s someone come into the mosque and he’s shooting us,’” said his mother, Salwa, according to the Stuff news website.

“I called ‘Hamza, Hamza,’ and I can hear his little voice, and after that, it was quiet.”

She stayed on the phone for 22 minutes, hoping he would respond.

“His phone was on, but I couldn’t talk to him. After that, someone picked up the phone and told me ‘your son can’t breathe, I think he’s dead’.

“Our lives have completely changed,” Salwa said after losing both her husband and “the most wonderful boy" at Christchurch Hospital, where her other son, 13-year-old Zaid, is recovering from two gunshot wounds.

When asked about the white supremacist terrorist who carried out the massacre, she said: “God will punish him.”