The family of victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks, including Farid Ahmed, who is in a wheelchair. Photo: RNZ / Conan Young
<h6 style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/authors/conan%20-young" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Conan Young </a>, RNZ via Scoop</h6>
<h2>Hundreds of people from the Christchurch suburb of Hillmorton packed into the local high school hall last night for a memorial service for four of their own who died in the mosque shootings.</h2>
<p>They heard from Muslim and non-Muslim leaders, listened to some inspiring performances and shared a meal cooked by the local Muslim community.</p>
<p>Farid Ahmed who lost his wife, Husna Ahmed, at the Al Noor mosque and who spoke at the National Memorial Service of forgiving the shooter, asked a series of questions of those gathered including why the attacks happened in New Zealand.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&#8220;I believe that it happened as a test for us, as a test for Muslims, as a test for the New Zealand government, as a test for New Zealanders.&#8221;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Rashid Omar who lost his son, Tariq Rashid Omar, said his family missed him terribly.</p>
<p>His loss was felt deeply, including by the many young footballers he used to coach.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&#8220;He was very caring, very gentle, very firm when he was doing his coaching to young children. It&#8217;s still very tough. It&#8217;s only that we are trying to, as a family to live without him physically and without him around us. This is a very difficult learning curve for us.&#8221;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Abdukadir Elmi, who was 65, left behind a wife and nine children.</p>
<p>Last night his son, Ali Abdukadir, said he was grateful for the big turnout and for the support his family had received.</p>
<p>He paid tribute to his father who he said did a lot of fund-raising for those still struggling back home in Somalia and always put others ahead of himself.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s pretty quiet without him. You know, we miss him a lot. And he was a good man. You know, he raised nine kids, and we all love him and we all miss him. So yeah, he was absolutely you know, like a really good father and the best father you could ever have.&#8221;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Adam Miyaakhel lost his brother, Matiullah Safi.</p>
<p>As the eldest son he has now taken on responsibility for his brother&#8217;s five teenage sons and his teenage daughter.</p>
<p>He felt this generation owed it to the next to make sure the same thing did not happen again.</p>
<p>Throughout the service four candles burned in front of photographs of each of the four people being remembered.</p>
<p>Farid Ahmed compared each of them to a candle in the way they were showing the way to move forward from such a tragic event.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&#8220;For their sacrifice, we are together today, for their sacrifice we are stronger today. For their sacrifice, we are now adamant that we will work hard for a better New Zealand, for a peaceful New Zealand.&#8221;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>New Zealand Federation of Islamic Associations head Mustafa Farouk told the audience, which included a number of government ministers, he would be pushing for 15 March to become a national day of prayer and reflection and for two memorials to be built.</p>
<p>One for the victims and another to commemorate the public response to the tragedy and the way it had brought New Zealanders together.</p>

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