TRANSCRIPT
March 15, 2019 - it's a date that's seared into the memories of millions of Muslims around the world
“ It was the darkest day in New Zealand's history”
A lone gunman, with a GoPro camera strapped to his helmet, live streaming his actions to social media, approaches Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch.
There he's greeted by a man, Haji Daoud Nabi, who welcomes him by saying "Hello brother".
He proceeds to gun down Nabi, before making his way inside.
In total, 44 people are killed there – and another 7 at the nearby Linwood Islamic Centre.
For the first time in New Zealand's history, the terrorism threat level was raised to high.
Then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was praised for her leadership in the aftermath of the attack.
She called it an "act of extreme and unprecedented violence" and offered...
“ …the strongest possible condemnation of the ideology of the person behind it. You may have chosen us – but we utterly reject and condemn you.”
Ardern refused to name the person who carried out the terror attacks, and urged the public to speak the victims' names instead.
Someone else who also received attention for his response was the Imam of Al Noor Mosque - Gamal Fouda.
He was delivering a speech during Friday prayer when the attack unfolded.
“But in the face of such horror, our response was not hatred. It was love.”
A week after the attack, he led Friday prayers in Hagley Park to a crowd of thousands - and his message was very clear.
“This terrorist sought to tear our nation apart with an evil ideology ... but instead we have shown that New Zealand is unbreakable and that the world can see in us an example of love and unity.”
Fouda was born and raised in Egypt. He graduated from Al-Azhar University, a renowned centre of Islamic learning in Cairo, in 1998.
A few years later, he was offered a job as an Imam in the United States.
But it was 2002 and, due to the rise of Islamophobia following the September 11 attacks, Egyptian officials decided it was unsafe for him to travel there.
Instead, he was sent to New Zealand.
Fouda settled in Palmerston North in 2003 and dedicated himself "to building bridges between the Muslim community and the wider community in New Zealand".
In March 2016, he moved to Christchurch.
While the 2019 mosque attacks were certainly a dark time for Fouda, he says his mission remains unchanged.
“The pain of 15th of March hasn’t faded, yet neither has the determination to build bridges and ensure such an attack never happens to anyone.”
Since then, Fouda says he's worked tirelessly to foster dialogue – and has welcomed global leaders into his mosque – from former New Zealand Prime Ministers Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins... to Prince William and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
“We need to actually learn to accept the differences and actually celebrate the differences and live together as brothers and sisters in humanity. Religions are there to connect us, not to divide us.”
He says the events of March 15 have left a huge scar on the community, which is still grappling with the trauma six years on.
“ Many people now still need help with the trauma and still recovering, including myself, from this big horrific attack on us. Not only on the Muslim community, but on New Zealand, so it will take years to actually heal from this.”
It's especially been made more difficult with the rise in Islamophobia and antisemitic attacks since October 7, 2023.
“Hate is not going to solve our problems. We need to stand together. Many are feeling a renewed sense of fear and uncertainty, and we need this to stop. This is not just a Muslim issue, it's a human issue. Calling for solidarity and dialogue rather than division is actually the best way to actually build the love I’m talking about and connect people together.”
He's been a part of a consultation group, which advised the New Zealand government for four years after the attack - talking about the importance of diversity and social cohesion.
“Healing is possible but diversity alone is not enough.”
And, while he says many things have changed, there's still more work to be done.
“I talked about a new syllabus in schools and how schools that we need to teach peace and diversity and also policies to change. And ensure our communities feel safe and valued and we need to, rather than just tolerate the differences, we need to actually celebrate the differences. And actually it is possible and we need to actually make this our culture in education.”
But Mr Fouda's time at Al Noor Mosque has come to an end.
He's set to move to Australia after Ramadan, after accepting a new role.
“I'm eager to continue the same message in Australia. I look forward to engaging with new communities, contributing to education and leadership and working towards a vision where faith and cultural identity thrive alongside shared values of respect and unity.”
In his final sermon, he told worshippers that Al Noor is no longer just a mosque, but "a global symbol of peace, resilience and unity".
“We showed NZ and the world the light of Allah. We planted love and friendship so let the message of this mosque continue this legacy.”
He says serving as an Imam there has been one of the greatest honours of his life.
“New Zealand still will be in my heart. We’ll continue the same message that was started in New Zealand, so that we can strive together for these shared values of humanity.”
