The Star: March 21, 2019

news online at www.star.kiwi
The Star Thursday March 21 2019
NEWS 7
Ardern visits Cashmere High School
A TWO-MINUTE silence
will be held tomorrow to
commemorate the one-week
anniversary of last week’s
massacre.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
made the announcement during
a visit to Christchurch yesterday.
In a separate event, state
broadcasters Radio NZ and
TVNZ will also play the Islamic
call to prayer.
Two minutes’ silence was chosen
over the usual one-minute
because of the magnitude of the
tragedy; a two-minute silence
also took place to commemorate
the Pike River explosions in
2010.
She confirmed 30 of the 50
bodies of those who died had
now been returned to their
families.
Many families have expressed
frustration at the length of time
it has taken for bodies to be
returned, and Ardern said she
shared that frustration.
That had nothing to do with
a lack of resources, she said, but
the complex process of identification.
She added that she wanted to
look at the international and domestic
thresholds that needed to
be met for formally identifying
dead bodies.
She also responded to reports
that Islamic State had called
for reprisals to Friday’s attack,
saying that the New Zealand
Muslim community had only
expressed “a rejection of extremism,
violence and hate”.
Before yesterday’s press conference,
Ms Ardern met with police
officers who were first on the
scene at Masjid Al Noor and
had to secure the mosque as well
as give first aid to the critically
injured.
She also met St John’s first responders
and thanked them for
their service on New Zealand’s
“darkest day”.
“I have no doubt you saved
lives,” she told them.
In the morning Ms Ardern
visited Cashmere High School,
where she was welcomed by a
passionate haka.
Cashmere High lost year 10
student Sayyad Milne and year
12 student Hamza Mustafa on
Friday.
Hamza’s father Khaled was
also killed. Hamza and Khaled
were the first of the deceased
from Friday’s shooting to be put
to rest today.
CARING:
Prime
Minister
Jacinda
Ardern hugs
and consoles
a student
during a visit
to Cashmere
High
School in
Christchurch
yesterday
At the school assembly, Ms
Ardern shared an embrace with
Bri, a 13-year-old year 9 student,
who opened the question and
answer session by asking her:
“How are you?”
“I am very sad,” Ms Ardern
replied.
Asked about the gunman during
the session, Ms Ardern told
students to focus on the victims.
“You know some of the young
people who lost their lives on Friday.
It’s their names and stories
that we need to keep telling. It’s
them we need to honour.
“If I can request one thing,
don’t say his name, don’t dwell
on who he is.”
She said it was everyone’s responsibility
to fight racism.
Ms Ardern praised a vigil that
was held on Monday in Hagley
Park and co-ordinated by Cashmere
head boy Okirano Tilaia.
Ms Ardern said social media
could be used as a force for good
and referred to the fact that
thousands of students knew
about the vigil through social
media.
“Never underestimate the
power of just sending a message,
looking out for someone, performing
a haka. There is power
in that.”
But she also cautioned the
students about the perils of social
media, and dozens of hands shot
up when she asked the students
if any of them had had negative
experiences online.
“Racism breeds extremism . . .
I alone cannot do that by myself.
I need help from every single one
of us.
“Let New Zealand be a place
where there is no tolerance of
racism, ever.”
She told the students that help
was available, if needed.
“It’s okay to grieve, it’s okay to
ask for help.”
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