'Is everything I'm trying to do pointless? ': Syrians helpless in face of 'sham' election Residents stand near stalls along a road amidst debris while strong winds batter Balasore district in Odisha state on May 26, 2021 as Cyclone Yaas barrels towards India's eastern coast in the Bay of Bengal. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP) (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP via Getty Images) France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame speak as they walk in the grounds of The Presidential Palace in Kigali on May 27, 2021, after their press conference and prior to their official luncheon. - French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Rwanda on May 27, 2021, for a highly symbolic visit aimed at moving on from three decades of diplomatic tensions over France's role in the 1994 genocide in the country. Macron is the first French leader since 2010 to visit the East African nation, which has long accused France of complicity in the killing of some 800,000 mostly Tutsi Rwandans. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images) A man rests on the ground as he speaks on his mobile phone across the road from mosque in central Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, March 15, 2019. A witness says a number of people have been killed in a mass shooting at a mosque in the New Zealand city of Christchurch; police urge people to stay indoors. (AP Photo/Mark Baker) Editor’s Note: Ayesha Hazarika is a British political commentator, writer and former political adviser. The opinions in this article belong to the author. View more opinion articles on CNN. (CNN) — When I woke up Friday morning to the news of the massacre at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, I felt sick. But sadly, not entirely surprised. I had been dreading this kind of violence happening, although I would have never imagined this kind of scale – 50 Muslim men, women and children killed in cold blood with such clinical, methodical precision and filmed for social media. Islamophobia is on the rise and has been for some time. Muslims have been demonized, dehumanized and scapegoated on an industrial scale by society since 9/11. No other group has been punished for the sins of the father in such a systematic and accepted way. Politicians, commentators, influencers and the media on the right have waged a war against Muslims that has become normalized. The most powerful man on the planet, President Donald Trump, has sought to ban them from entering the United States. British prime minister hopeful and former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson made “jokes” insulting Muslim women, saying they looked like letter boxes. After those comments, Tell Mama, an organization that records Muslim hate incidents, reported that attacks on Muslim women went up. They often take the form of pulling off a woman’s headscarf, especially when she’s taking her children to and from school. Imagine what that does to a young frightened and confused Muslim child? We have respected high-profile commentators who say that Islamophobia doesn’t exist and imply that “they” have brought it on themselves because of terrorism. 02:06 - Source: CNN Prime Minister: One of New Zealand's darkest days This is like saying that because of this atrocity, every white 28-year-old man should now be on a watch list or face prejudice. It’s a nonsensical, primitive argument. Yet one that elites in powerful positions repeat, even though they should know better. The trope that all Muslims are somehow predisposed to violence or terrorism is dangerous and wrong. Most Muslims – particularly immigrants – keep their heads down, want a quiet, peaceful life and want to stay out of trouble. I know this because I am Muslim and know our community. We are not out to cause trouble. We don’t come to “invade”; we come to make a better life for ourselves. We run your convenience store, drive your cabs, feed you late-night food when you’ve had a drink or look after you when you’re ill. We serve our communities. Yet we have become the victims of harassment, hatred and now terrorism. Attacks – verbal and physical – on Muslims are par for the course. But society doesn’t seem to care. Our lives and pain don’t seem to matter as much because we are seen as second-class citizens or “bad people.” I wept Friday on “CNN Talk,” thinking about the sadness of it all. It has been a dark day. But if there is any light, it was the outpouring of grief from people of all backgrounds around the world who sent in messages of solidarity and kindness. If we can take one lesson from the horror of Christchurch, we have to stop this hate and see Muslims as human beings, just like anyone else.<doc-sep>New Zealand mom worries: Waiting to see if son is all right In the wake of the deadly attack against two mosques in New Zealand, police officers sit in their vehicle out side the Al Aqsa Islamic Society mosque in Philadelphia, ahead of prayers Friday, March 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) A police officer secures the area in front of the Masjid al Noor mosque after a shooting incident in Christchurch on March 15, 2019. - Attacks on two Christchurch mosques left at least 49 dead on March 15, with one gunman -- identified as an Australian extremist -- apparently livestreaming the assault that triggered the lockdown of the New Zealand city. (Photo by Tessa BURROWS / AFP) (Photo credit should read TESSA BURROWS/AFP/Getty Images) Tributes laid at the police line close to the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch where 41 people died. Police stand outside a mosque in Linwood, Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, March 15, 2019. Multiple people were killed during shootings at two mosques full of people attending Friday prayers. (AP Photo/Mark Baker) (CNN) — Churches are opening their doors after mosques were told to close for security issues in the wake of the Christchurch, New Zealand, terrorist attacks. Mosques are receiving messages of solidarity and flowers. A fundraiser for the victims is nearing $400,000. And a UK-based national forum for Christian-Muslim engagement is calling on Christians to go along to Friday prayers at their local mosques – a call the archbishop of Canterbury endorsed. These are only a few examples of how people and institutions are showing solidarity and offering help to Muslim communities all over the world after Friday’s shooting attacks on two Christchurch mosques that killed at least 49 people and seriously injured 20 others. Here’s how you can help the New Zealand victims In some of the worst terror attacks and mass shootings of recent years, Muslim communities have stepped up to help in different ways. In the aftermath of October’s Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, for example, the Muslim-American nonprofit groups CelebrateMercy and MPower Change launched a crowdfunding appeal that raised thousands for the victims. They are opening their doors Immediately after Friday’s attacks in Christchurch, the Te Atatū Baptist Church in Auckland, New Zealand, announced on Facebook it was opening its doors to Muslims because mosques had been closed. “Tonight we will open up The Meeting Place from 7pm to 8pm for prayer for Christchurch. Come and light a candle, say a silent prayer and stand with our fellow kiwis. All welcome,” the post said. “We especially invite the Muslim community whose mosques have been closed, to come and join us tonight.” Tonight we will open up The Meeting Place from 7pm to 8pm for prayer for Christchurch. Come and light a candle, say a... Posted by Te Atatū Baptist on Thursday, March 14, 2019 Other landmark churches, such as St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, said it was offering prayers during daily services for those affected by the shootings in New Zealand. “We pray too for our Muslim friends and (neighbors) here and around the world,” the church said on Twitter. At our services today we will offer prayers for those affected by the shootings in New Zealand and for Muslim communities. All are welcome to join us. As always, St Dunstan’s Chapel is available for private prayer and reflection throughout the day. pic.twitter.com/8BvUGAjZ0r — St Paul's Cathedral (@StPaulsLondon) March 15, 2019 The UK’s national forum for Christian-Muslim dialogue, the Christian Muslim Forum, called on Christians to go to Friday prayers at their local mosques “to stand in solidarity.” “The devastating attacks in Christchurch bring us together in grief and in our determination to fight hatred with friendship,” it announced on Twitter with the hashtag #WeStandTogether. “Churches are visiting mosques across the country today in solidarity,” the group told CNN. The message was retweeted in support by Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury. As Christians we are called to be good neighbours. Let's get behind this simple act of kindness and reject hatred of Muslims. #WeStandTogether #Christchurch https://t.co/EuHIaX4aRH — Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) March 15, 2019 They are expressing solidarity People started writing supportive messages using the hashtag #TheyAreUs to signal that Muslims are welcome in New Zealand. The phrase gained traction after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern used the words when discussing the attack on Friday. Ardern said migrants and refugees could have been caught up in the attack. “They have chosen to make New Zealand their home and it is their home. They are us,” she said. “The person who has perpetuated this violence against us is not.” They are holding vigils Meanwhile, peaceful vigils are already being held in New Zealand and across the UK. A peaceful vigil is taking place outside Sandwell Council House, Oldbury, following the terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand. Led by Sandwell's Inclusive Muslim Action Network (IMAN) and @FaithFriendsOT.#WeStandTogether pic.twitter.com/t4hqa9yrKD — Sandwell Council (@sandwellcouncil) March 15, 2019 People also are leaving messages of support and flowers at the entrance of mosques, including the Finsbury Park mosque in north London, the target of a June 2017 terror attack that left one Muslim worshipper dead. Such a thoughtful gesture outside @CMRochdale from a well wisher today 🙏🏽 Peddlers of hate won't succeed in their futile & violent attempts to divide us, & ALL those responsible for perpetuating Islamophobia have a lot to answer for#WeStandTogether#ChristchurchMosqueAttack pic.twitter.com/0r057l2mnk — 𝕄𝕣 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕙𝕚𝕕 𝕄𝕠𝕙𝕒𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕕 𝕊𝕒𝕣𝕕𝕒𝕣 🐝 (@Shahid_MoSardar) March 15, 2019 Meanwhile, the New Zealand Council of Victim Support Groups, a local charity, has launched a crowdfunding effort for the victims that is nearing $400,000. For the first time in history synagogues in NZ are closed on Shabbat following the shocking massacre of Muslims in Christchurch. The Jewish Agency and the NZ Jewish Council stand in solidarity with the bereaved families. We are united in fighting violent hatred and racism. — יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) March 15, 2019 In another show of solidarity, the New Zealand Jewish community shut its synagogues on Shabbat for the first time, according to a tweet by Isaac Herzog, head of the Jewish Agency for Israel.<doc-sep>
Updated at 3pm EDT with an additional DHS statement. A terrorist attack by a white supremacist at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, has killed 49 people, mostly Muslims, and injured nearly 40 more. An online screed the shooter apparently left behind explained that he was specifically targeting Muslims who invaded “our lands [and] live on our soil” and that it was an “act of revenge against Islam.” The Trump administration’s condolences have so far failed to use the word “Muslim” or “Islam.” Under Donald Trump, the US government has banned immigration from several Muslim-majority countries, sharply cut the number of Muslim refugees admitted, and used divisive language to criticize the Islamic religions’ nearly two billion followers, in sharp contrast to previous US presidents. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo this morning (March 15) offered his “personal condolences to the Nation of New Zealand in the wake of the mosque attacks,” said “the United States condemns this hateful assault,” and pledged the US’s “unwavering solidarity with the government and people of New Zealand,” in a press conference this morning. But he never mentioned the Muslim community. Before he joined the Trump administration, Pompeo warned a church group of the threat to America from Islam, and this year in Cairo, he delivered a controversial speech in Cairo rebuking Barack Obama’s promise of a “new beginning” with the Muslim world. Kirstjen Nielsen, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, shared her sympathy for the “victims and their families” in the morning. In the early afternoon, Nielsen put out a longer statement that expressed condolences “for those affected by the attacks,” again without mentioning who they were, but also noted concerns America’s “Muslim-American communities may have.” While we are not aware of any current, credible or active threat domestically, nor of any current information regarding obvious ties between the perpetrators in New Zealand and anyone in the US— the Department is cognizant of the potential concerns members of Muslim-American communities may have as they gather at today’s congregational prayers. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also mentioned “victims and their families” but not Muslims in a statement: Attorney general William P. Barr referred to religion in his statement, but avoided naming which religion had been targeted: “Violence on the basis of religion is evil. Today’s attack in New Zealand is a sobering reminder that the threat of political and religious violence is real and that we must remain vigilant against it. The Justice Department joins in mourning with the people of New Zealand.” Even first lady Melania Trump–who is not, of course, an elected official–failed to use the word “Muslims” or “Islam” in her condolence tweet to grieving “families”: Trump came the closest to offering condolences to the actual targets of the attack, using the word “mosques” in a tweet, but didn’t mention Muslims or Islam: After a white supremacist shooter attacked a Quebec mosque in 2017, the White House didn’t offer sympathies to Muslims then either. The messages from Trump and his cabinet stand in stark contrast to those from other world leaders and figureheads, and other US politicians. British royals William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, said in a statement: This senseless attack is an affront to the people of Christchurch and New Zealand, and the broader Muslim community. It is a horrifying assault on a way of life that embodies decency, community, and friendship. Former US president Obama send his condolences to the “Muslim community”: Pope Francis expressed his “heartfelt solidarity” with Muslims, saying he is: …deeply saddened to learn of the injury and loss of life cause by the senseless acts of violence at two mosques in Christchurch, and he assures all New Zealanders, and in particular the Muslim community, of his heartfelt solidarity in the wake of these attacks German chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her “horror” at the attack on Muslim citizens: The attack on Muslim citizens is also an attack on New Zealand’s democracy and its open and tolerant society. We share these values and thus also the horror of the New Zealanders. Several Democratic presidential candidates used the word “Muslim” in their comments on the attack; Beto O’Rourke, the Texas candidate, mentioned “Islamophobia.” The headline of this article was originally “The Trump administration’s New Zealand shooting response doesn’t use the word Muslim.” It was changed to reflect the later DHS statement.