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A mother who lost her son in the Christchurch terror attacks told the terrorist in court: "You thought you can break us you failed miserably. Ata is gone, but never forgotten. He will always be the light of our eyes. And we will live his legacy." https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/christchurch-mosque-attack-victims-mum-22567777
Mazharuddin Syed Ahmed, who witnessed the attack on the Linwood Islamic Centre said: "You were a tragedy, you did not help anyone, you did not comfort anyone. You were saviour to none.
"No one will remember you with joy in their hearts." https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/424332/christchurch-mosque-shooter-appears-moved-as-victim-s-mother-offers-forgiveness
"No one will remember you with joy in their hearts." https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/424332/christchurch-mosque-shooter-appears-moved-as-victim-s-mother-offers-forgiveness
Janna Ezat, mother of Hussein Al-Umari, killed in the terror attacks told the terrorist in court: “I have decided to forgive you, Mr Tarrant, because I don’t have hate, I don’t have revenge,” adding, “the damage is done. Hussein will never be here.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/24/i-dont-have-hate-i-dont-have-revenge-stricken-mother-of-christchurch-massacre-victim-forgives-killer
Gamal Fouda, the Al Noor mosque's imam: "I was standing on the pulpit and saw the hate in the eyes of a brainwashed terrorist, I lived with that nightmare afterwards," he said, telling Tarrant: "Your hatred is unnecessary." https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/new-zealand-christchurch-shootings-mosque-brenton-tarrant-13047316
Abdiaziz Ali Jama, continue to live with the mental anguish: "I see a lot of dead people. I have been frightened, I talk constantly at night. I hear noise and go outside sometimes to look for the shooter. I will never forget what I saw that day." https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/new-zealand-christchurch-shootings-mosque-brenton-tarrant-13047316
Mohammad Atta Ahmad Alayan told the court he was heartbroken by the deaths of his son and so many others.
"We hope to meet them again in paradise," he said. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-shooting/300089887/mosque-victim-to-gunman-you-have-not-broken-us-but-united-us
"We hope to meet them again in paradise," he said. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-shooting/300089887/mosque-victim-to-gunman-you-have-not-broken-us-but-united-us
Taj Mohammad Kamran, shot three times in the same leg at the Al-Noor mosque, has roughly 1,000 pieces of shrapnel that cannot be removed said: "I don't go to mosques much as I am scared."
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2020/08/24/quotes-from-court-hearings-for-new-zealand-mosque-shooter
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2020/08/24/quotes-from-court-hearings-for-new-zealand-mosque-shooter
Khaled Majed Abd’el Rauf Alnobani, Who Was At Al Noor Mosque (Via Translator): "I have not returned to full-time work because I am struggling with everyday life. My behaviour has changed because I lost some of my friends." https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/08/24/world/asia/24reuters-newzealand-shootin-factbox.html
Ikram Patel, son of Musa Vali Suleman Patel, Who Died at Linwood Mosque: "My family and I, and all other families affected by this tragedy, are victims of Islamophobia. Like all forms of racism and bigotry it is based on illogical and faulty thinking” 1/2
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2020/08/24/quotes-from-court-hearings-for-new-zealand-mosque-shooter
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2020/08/24/quotes-from-court-hearings-for-new-zealand-mosque-shooter
Ikram Patel: "And its perpetrators not only commit horrific crimes but also actively spread misinformation and propaganda, and infect other minds." 2/2
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2020/08/24/quotes-from-court-hearings-for-new-zealand-mosque-shooter
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2020/08/24/quotes-from-court-hearings-for-new-zealand-mosque-shooter
Temel Atacocugu, who was shot nine times (3 bullets remain inside of him), played dead to save his own life. He said: "I thought I was going to die and I tried to lie as still as possible when the gunman came back a second time."
https://news.sky.com/story/christchurch-mosque-gunman-wanted-to-kill-as-many-people-as-he-could-12055373
https://news.sky.com/story/christchurch-mosque-gunman-wanted-to-kill-as-many-people-as-he-could-12055373
High Court judge Cameron Mander said he had received more than 200 victim impact statements, and will not pass sentence until Thursday morning so their voices can be heard in the court. https://www.thenational.ae/world/oceania/christchurch-mosque-shooter-spent-years-preparing-for-attack-1.1067540
Hamimah Tuyan lost husband Zekeriya and told the BBC: “We have a whole community of heroes. We have the Muslim community who are still healing. They are heroes. And then we have 51 martyrs. But that evil murderer belongs to neither of these categories.” https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-53858369
"[Tarrant's] nothing," Ahad Nabi, the son of a victim, said outside court. "Looking at a mouse doesn't fear me."
Mohammad Atta Ahmad Alayan recited the first chapter of the Quran to the court. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/christchurch-mosque-attack-victims-call-gunman-a-coward-in-emotional-statements.html
Mohammad Atta Ahmad Alayan recited the first chapter of the Quran to the court. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/christchurch-mosque-attack-victims-call-gunman-a-coward-in-emotional-statements.html
Khaled Alnobani spoke in Arabic for his statement, except for his last sentence in English when addressing Tarrant.
"We are not broken, we have become more united, you make that and thank you for that." https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/christchurch-mosque-attack-victims-call-gunman-a-coward-in-emotional-statements.html
"We are not broken, we have become more united, you make that and thank you for that." https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/christchurch-mosque-attack-victims-call-gunman-a-coward-in-emotional-statements.html
WATCH: Maysoon Salama and Mohammad Atta Ahmad Alayan discuss the loss of their son Ata Mohammad Ata Elayyan and address the Christchurch terrorist.
Aya Al Umari described her brother as the backbone of their family and her "guardian". https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12358344
Mazharuddin Syed Ahmed, who was at Linwood Islamic Centre, said: "Any small trigger can make me cry. Just a simple thing. 'How are you doing?' can make me cry." https://www.nambuccaguardian.com.au/story/6892874/christchurch-attacks-portrait-of-trauma/
Ata Taj Mohammad Kamran lost his best friend of 13 years. Kamran was shot four times in the leg when fleeing and carries a lot of guilt about not being able to help others.
"I don't want to live like this, it is too tiring for me – I am tired of it all." https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12358346
"I don't want to live like this, it is too tiring for me – I am tired of it all." https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12358346
Day #2:
“Good afternoon to everyone except you,” Waseem Daraghmeh told the terrorist, adding, “Thankfully, [I have] survived because he don’t know how to use a gun.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/25/anger-grief-and-dark-humour-fill-christchurch-high-court-as-victims-face-gunman
“Good afternoon to everyone except you,” Waseem Daraghmeh told the terrorist, adding, “Thankfully, [I have] survived because he don’t know how to use a gun.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/25/anger-grief-and-dark-humour-fill-christchurch-high-court-as-victims-face-gunman
Nathan Smith, who was at the Al-Noor Mosque, said: "When you get a free minute, which you will have plenty of. Funny, eh? Very funny. Maybe you should try to read the Quran. It's beautiful."
1/2. https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/08/25/world/asia/25reuters-newzealand-shooting.html
1/2. https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/08/25/world/asia/25reuters-newzealand-shooting.html
Smith added: “I held a three-year-old boy in my arms, praying that he was still alive. He was not,”
“Since the attack I don’t sleep well and don’t trust people. You have changed my life forever and I will never forgive you.”
2/2 https://www.aap.com.au/signs-of-emotion-from-nz-mosque-terrorist/
“Since the attack I don’t sleep well and don’t trust people. You have changed my life forever and I will never forgive you.”
2/2 https://www.aap.com.au/signs-of-emotion-from-nz-mosque-terrorist/
Farisha Razak, who lost her father Ashraf Ali, said in a recorded message that Tarrant did not deserve any leniency, “You made a game out of people’s lives,” adding, “You should not even be granted parole - ever.”
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-newzealand-shooting/grieving-families-urge-life-no-parole-sentence-for-new-zealand-mosque-gunman-idUKKBN25L04M
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-newzealand-shooting/grieving-families-urge-life-no-parole-sentence-for-new-zealand-mosque-gunman-idUKKBN25L04M
Zuhair Darwish, who lost his brother Kamel, called for the harshest possible sentence:
“I know in New Zealand law they have removed the death penalty for humans, but unfortunately he’s not a human."
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-newzealand-shooting/grieving-families-urge-life-no-parole-sentence-for-new-zealand-mosque-gunman-idUKKBN25L04M
“I know in New Zealand law they have removed the death penalty for humans, but unfortunately he’s not a human."
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-newzealand-shooting/grieving-families-urge-life-no-parole-sentence-for-new-zealand-mosque-gunman-idUKKBN25L04M
Angela Armstrong, who lost her mother Linda Armstrong, said: "While I have pity for your mum, I have no emotion for you. You are nothing."
1/2 https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/08/25/world/asia/25reuters-newzealand-shooting.html
1/2 https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/08/25/world/asia/25reuters-newzealand-shooting.html
Angela Armstrong: “While he will remain trapped in a cage my mum is free. I therefore challenge Tarrant to use his remaining lifetime to consider the beauty and life to be found in diversity and freedom that he sought to distort and destroy.”
2/2
2/2
Kyron Gosse, nephew of Linda Armstrong, said: “Filled with his own racist agenda this coward hid behind his big powerful guns and shot little old Linda from afar,” adding that the terrorist “stole our nation’s innocence.” https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/crime-pmn/daughter-of-nz-mosque-victim-tells-gunman-consider-beauty-of-diversity-while-in-prison
Mirwais Waziri said: "Today you are called terrorist and you proved to the world that us Muslims are not terrorists. I say to the people of New Zealand that terrorist do not have religion, race and colour." https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/08/25/world/asia/25reuters-newzealand-shooting.html
