New Zealand burials start as PMurges ‘united front’ on social media

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand: A Syrian refugee and his son were buried in New Zealand on Wednesday in the first funerals of those killed in the twin mosque massacre as Kiwis braced for days of emotional farewells following the mass slayings.

An Australian white supremacist is accused of gunning down 50 Muslim worshippers and wounding many more at two mosques in the southern city of Christchurch last Friday in a killing spree that he live-streamed. Alleged gunman Brenton Tarrant’s use of social media has put the spotlight on extremists’ use of such platforms, and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called on Wednesday for a global “united front” on the issue. Hundreds of mostly Muslim mourners gathered in the morning at a cemetery near Linwood Mosque, one of two places of worship targeted, to lay Khalid Mustafa and his son Hamza to rest. The family arrived last year as refugees from the Syrian maelstrom only to find tragedy in a land where they had sought sanctuary. Khalid, 44, and Hamza, 15, were shot dead at the Al Noor Mosque, the first attack site.

Khalid leaves behind a wife, daughter and son Zaid, 13, who was wounded in the shootings. In a powerful scene, Zaid sat in a wheelchair, his hands held aloft as he prayed alongside rows of mourners. Jamil El-Biza, who came from the Sydney area to attend the funerals, told AFP that Zaid said at the graves of his brother and father: “I shouldn’t be standing in front of you. I should be lying beside you.” Also attending was Abdul Aziz, an Afghan refugee who confronted the gunman at Linwood Mosque.

He was embraced by many mourners. In a sign of lingering tensions, the PA system at the funeral announced evacuation procedures from the venue in the event of an emergency, mourners said. A total of six burials were expected on Wednesday. Speaking of the Mustafa family, Ardern said: “I cannot tell you how gutting it is to know that a family came here for safety and for refuge, and they should have been safe here.” - ‘United front’ - Ardern, who has vowed to toughen New Zealand’s lax gun-ownership laws following the killings, also said Wednesday the world needs to confront the dangers posed by social media. “There is an argument there to be made for us to take a united front on what is a global issue,” she said at a press conference in Christchurch.