Friday’s attack in Christchurch, New Zealand was an unprecedented act of violence and hatred, which has left the world reeling from the shock as each horrendous detail was revealed in the last two days.
At least 49 people were killed -- of whom three were fellow Bangladeshis -- in this act of blatant terror. It has affected all of us to the core, most of all those who had been present, were injured, and the families of the ones who lost their lives.
But we cannot let the terrorists who carried out this most heinous crime control the ensuing narrative. We cannot let the gruesome details of the incident rule us, nor let the hopelessness divide us.
Let us, instead, focus on the heroes who emerged in the aftermath of the tragedy, such as the man who tackled one of the terrorists, without whose bravery many more lives perhaps would have been lost.
Let us highlight, as an example of selflessness and love, the story of Husna Ara Parvin, the Bangladeshi woman who was tragically killed when she went to the mosque for her paraplegic husband despite knowing that a terrorist attack was in progress.
Let us find hope in the immeasurable amount of support that the mosques and the Muslim community have received in the last two days, through the memorials created which now honour the victims and the $3.5 million already raised for them and their families.
We have also witnessed heart-warming examples of religious harmony, such as the New Zealand Jewish community’s decision to shut down synagogues on Shabbat for the first time ever to show solidarity with the Muslims who suffered from the attack.
Yes, the Christchurch attack has hurt and maimed us and tried to divide us, but it cannot keep us down.
If there’s one thing that people from all over the world have shown, it is this: The terrorists did not win.
