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Christchurch, New Zealand (AFP) – A few months ago, the Linwood Mosque in Christchurch proudly laid new carpets in its halls.
On Friday, the light brown carpets were stained red after an armed man stormed the building, throwing bullets at the faithful.
"There was blood everywhere, everything was out of control," Ibrahim AbdelHalim, Imam of the Linwood Mosque, told AFP.
Like the entire Muslim community of Christchurch, AbdelHalim, born in Egypt, is struggling to accept the violence inflicted on the faithful this week while he is waiting to bury the dead.
Working with the local Islamic community, AbdelHalim sought to refresh the mosque after it was purchased by a trust in early 2018.
Some of the seven faithful who died in Linwood were among the most enthusiastic donors, donating their personal time to contribute to fundraising efforts.
A woman, a Kiwi from the area, fell next to his wife when she was shot, said AbdelHalim. His wife, Falwa El-Shazly, was shot in the arm but survived the attack.
Another man, a Fijian-Indian New Zealander who regularly brought cartons of food from his restaurant during mosque fundraisers, was also killed.
"They are dear to me, they are people who offer us to work for free," said AbdelHalim.
"It was a very bad day, not just for all of us, but for all of New Zealand."
At Hedley College, the main meeting place for survivors and the families of the victims, Muslims of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds shared cuddles without words and resisted tears when they exchanged news of their loved ones.
With Muslims representing only 1% of the New Zealand population, some members of the close-knit community rushed to the mosques when they heard about the shooting.
"I did not go to prayer yesterday because of my work … but I received a call from my friends and I rushed there," Mohammad Kamruzzaman told AFP. from Bangladesh.
"Five of our (Bangladeshi friends) are still missing, only Allah knows where they are, we have lost … a lady guardian of our community who taught the Quran for free to the children. to have lost a parent. "
– & # 39; We are not immune & # 39; –
Azan Ali, 43, born in Fiji and who was in Linwood Mosque with his father, in Auckland, at the time of the attack, trembled when he rethought the shots fired on Friday.
"Will I see my parents, my children, my loved ones again or not? All the people with whom you pray, you see next to you …", he added, his voice sighed. off.
"My children are scared, you know, you just have to work as a community."
His father, Sheik Aeshad, who saw a faithful shot in the back of his neck, said he did not understand how such violence could take place in New Zealand, a small country better known for its hills. green and snowy mountains.
"We never thought that in New Zealand it could happen, New Zealand is such a friendly place, you can leave your door open and leave, but not now," he said. he adds.
"I'm thinking about what's going to happen next time … it could be more people targeting elsewhere."
It was a sentiment shared by Sahra Ahmed, a New Zealander of Somali descent and an active nurse in her local community.
Sahra said the attacks showed that the South Pacific island nation could not escape the global wave of right-wing extremism.
"It's a global movement, for better or for worse, it's happened in all parts of the world, and some people like to import everyone's ideas, so we're not immune. what is happening, "she told AFP.
"No matter where you go, the world is very small."
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