Muslim children, parents, and grandparents lost their lives in two mosques when a terrorist opened fire to end lives of 50 people who dreamt of having a new home and life in New Zealand.
The victims include children who were at the mosque to pray with their parents, a teenager who dreamed of becoming a footballer, a teacher, refugees who had found a new home in New Zealand, and nationals from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Fifty people have been confirmed killed in Friday’s terrorist attack in the city of Christchurch. Thirty-one injured victims remained at Christchurch Hospital on Monday, where officials said nine were in critical condition. These are some of the victims of the Christchurch mosque massacre:
Mucad Ibrahim
Three-year-old Mucad Ibrahim is the youngest known victim of the attacks. He was at Al Noor mosque with his father and older brother Abdi when the attack happened. Everyone began to run, and Abdi thought his father had Mucad. In the rush and crush of people, the three became separated. Abdi said police had confirmed his death. Abdi said:
“My mum, she’s been struggling…Every time she sees other people crying, emotional, she just collapses.”
Haji-Daoud Nabi
Seventy-one-year-old Haji-Daoud Nabi died as he tried to save the lives of fellow worshippers at Al Noor mosque. Nabi came to New Zealand from Afghanistan in 1977 and was a beloved community leader. His son, Yama al-Nabi, was running late for a meeting with his father at the mosque, and escaped the shooting by minutes.
He told assembled media on Saturday that:
“He jumped in the firing line to save somebody else’s life…He has passed away.”
Husna Ahmed
Husna Ahmed, 44, escaped Al Noor mosque when the shooting began, leading the women out. She went back in to look for her husband, Farid, who uses a wheelchair. She was shot at the gate. Farid survived. Her niece, Nusrat Alam, told al-Jazeera:
“She thinks of other people first.”
Farid said he did not hate the man who killed her. He told Newshub:
“Probably he wasn’t loved … I don’t hate him at all. She was brave, and she gave her life saving others.”
Lilik Abdul Hamid
Lilik Abdul Hamid, a father of two, was an engineer for Air New Zealand. He had worked in Christchurch for 16 years. His death was confirmed on Sunday in an official statement from Air New Zealand’s chief executive officer Christopher Luxon.
Sayyad Milne
Fourteen-year-old Sayyad Milne was a keen footballer who was shot at Al Noor mosque while attending Friday prayers, as he did every week. The Year 10 student at Cashmere high school had dreamed of being an international footballer one day. His mother, Noraini, managed to escape.
His father, John Milne, told New Zealand radio his son had died. He said:
“I’ve lost my little boy, he’s just turned 14. It’s so hard ... to see him just gunned down by someone who didn’t care about anyone or anything.”
Atta Elayyan
Atta Elayyan, 33, was the goalkeeper of New Zealand’s national men’s futsal team. Elayyan, who had just become a father, was confirmed killed by New Zealand’s football association on Sunday.
A Palestinian man who was born in Kuwait, Elayyan was also a popular member of the Christchurch tech industry. He leaves behind his wife Farah and young daughter Aya. His teammate Josh Margetts said:
“There is huge hole in our hearts.”
Amjad Hamid
Amjad Hamid was a heart doctor who lived in Christchurch and travelled to the small town of Hāwera, 10 hours away by car, every three weeks, to work. The 57-year old had lived in Christchurch for 23 years after leaving Palestine. His death was confirmed by a relative, and by Rosemary Clements, the chief executive of the Taranaki District Health Board. Clements said:
“When he returned to Hāwera hospital he often brought fresh baklava from a bakery in Christchurch for everyone…He was well liked for his kindness, compassion and sense of humour.”
Ansi Alibava
25-year old Ansi Alibava was studying her Masters. Her death was confirmed by the Indian High Commission in New Zealand, and her husband, Abdul Nazer Ponnath Hamsa. He expressed:
“The life Ansi and I had together, the plans we made, the family we hoped to build here, all vanished in a moment of senseless anti-immigrant rage.”
Ali Elmadani
Retired engineer Ali Almadani came to New Zealand from the United Arab Emirates in 1998. His daughter, Maha Elmadani, is a Christchurch-based graphic designer, and told news site Stuff.co.nz that her father had died on Friday.
Naeem Rashid & Taha Naeem
Father and son Naeem Rashid and 21-year-old Taha Naeem were both killed on Friday. Pakistan’s foreign affairs minister tweeted that the pair were confirmed killed.
Khaled Mustafa
Syrian refugee Khaled Mustafa had survived civil war and atrocities in Syria before he was killed on Friday in the terrorist attack. Ali Akil, a spokesman for the group Syrian Solidarity New Zealand said Mustafa’s wife confirmed he had been killed. Akil said:
“[They] survived atrocities and arrived here in a safe haven only to be killed in the most atrocious way…They were just looking for a safe place.”
Hamza Mustafa:
Khaled’s son Hamza also died. The 16-year old was in Year 10 and had only arrived in New Zealand months ago, with his family. His death was confirmed by his mother, and by the principal of Cashmere high school.
Linda Armstrong
Linda Armstrong, 65, worked with refugees and attended mosque every Friday. Her nephew Kyron Gosse told CNN she was from west Auckland originally, and had moved to Christchurch to be closer to her daughter and granddaughter.
Farhaj Ahsan
The Indian national had moved from Hyderabad 10 years ago and worked as an electrical engineer. His father Sayeeduddin told the BBC that:
“Nobody was imagining in New Zealand - which is a peace-loving country - such [a] situation arises.”
Syed Jahandad Ali
Software developer Syed Ali had been a senior figure at IT company Intergen in Christchurch for the past seven years. His colleagues and Pakistan’s foreign ministry confirmed his death on Sunday. Intergen CEO Simon Bright said on Sunday:
“Our much-loved colleague Syed Ali has lost his life.”
Hafiz Musa Patel
Hafiz Musa Patel was the imam of the Lautoka Jame mosque in Fiji, visiting Christchurch. His death was confirmed by the president of the Fiji Muslim League on Sunday.
Tariq Omar
Tariq Omar, 24, was a graduate of Cashmere high school, where Hamza Mustafa and Sayyad Milne also attended. Cashmere principal Mark Wilson confirmed on Monday that Omar, along with the two boys, had died on Friday.
Abdullahi Dirie
The four-year-old was at the mosque with his father and four older siblings.
His uncle, 60-year-old Abdulrahman Hashi, told journalists that the young boy suffered gunshot wounds and later died in hospital. He told the Washington Post:
“You cannot imagine how I feel...He was the youngest in the family.”
Junaid Mortara
Junaid Mortara, 35 of age, was killed in the attack on the Al Noor mosque. He has been remembered as a “gentle” man who supported his mother, wife and three young children.
Syed Areeb Ahmed
Syed Areeb Ahmed had recently moved from Pakistan for a job in New Zealand, to support his family. He has been described as a deeply religious man who valued education.
Hussain Al-Umari
Al-Umari’s mother wrote on social media that her son was killed. His family and friends had been seeking information after al-Umari failed to return after going to Friday prayers at the Al Noor Mosque.
Haroon Mahmood
Mahmood, aged 40, leaves a wife and two children of the age 13 and 11. A tutor in economics and statistics at Lincoln University from 2014-16, he also lectured in business at Linguis International in Christchurch from 2014 until April 2017, and joined Canterbury College in May 2017.
Osama Adnan
Adnan, 37 of age, was of Palestinian origin and in the process of applying for New Zealand citizenship. He had previously lived in Egypt.
Sohail Shahid, Zeeshan Raza, Ghulam Hussain and Karam Bibi were named dead by the Pakistani government. Whereas, Maheboob Khokhar, Ramiz Vora, Asif Vora and Ozair Kadir were named dead by India’s ambassador to New Zealand.
Missing or injured
Zulfirman and Averroes Syah
Father and son Zulfirman and Averroes Syah are injured but alive. Alta Marie, Zulfirman’s husband, said he shielded their son from bullets during the attack. Zulfirman is in a stable condition following extensive surgery, Marie said, while Averroes, aged two, only suffered minor injuries thanks to his father’s actions.
This incident has been highly tragic and all we can do is pray for the families and those who left this world. Let others know of those who got victimized in this massacre so they can also recite Surah Fatiha, pray to Allah (SWT) and make duas for deceased.
Source: The Guardian
