Christchurch Massacre: 15 March Four years on

Farid Ahmed

Something that we will never forget, and we should not forget.

The massacre on 15 March 2019 in two Christchurch Masjids is one of them. On that tragic day, innocent peaceful Muslim worshippers were attacked without any provocations.

A hate motivated gunman killed Muslims as if he was shooting birds. His cruelty took many lives, and left many injured, and many in trauma. His unloving heart did not spare children and women either. The sufferings are still ongoing. So, how can we forget the 15 March massacre?

If we forget the tragedy, then how do we learn from it?

We have learnt many things.

We can die any time and we should be ready to meet Allah, we will be tested by Allah for achieving higher goals, we did not lose our loved ones as they are in Paradise under Allah’s hospitality, we shall get rewards from Allah for our patience and per- severance, we shall continue spreading the peaceful message of Islam, how to receive healings in traumas from Islamic Faith, how to rely on Allah during traumas, and how to hold onto the rope of Allah for hope with courage and conviction.

We have also learnt that we don’t want to live in fear, anger, and hopelessness. We have learnt to turn the negative into the positive and how to turn the grief into a vehicle of peace and the learning will continue.

We must not forget the sufferings that remind Muslims to put more trust in Allah, to supplicate more to Allah for His protection, to seek Allah’s help with patience and prayers, to remember death more do avoid sins and to do more good deeds, to face the evil with what is best, to pass the test for high rewards from Allah in paradise, and to pray for Allah’s guidance for every success.

By remembering our trials and tribulations, we cling to Allah more and we do more worship through prayers, charity, human service with kindness, and as a result we earn more rewards. The eventuality is that we gain Allah’s Love, Mercy, Forgiveness, and Blessings in this life and in the next life.