Tides of prayers, anger storm social media after New Zealand terrorist attack

AMMAN — Between the sympathies and prayers sent out to the victims and families of the Christchurch terrorist attack on the one hand, and anger over the “heinous” massacre on the other, social media was flooded over the weekend.

The official death toll announced by the New Zealand government late Friday night stood at 49 victims.

Two Jordanians were found among the dead. Two, shortly afterwards, died of their wounds, while five others are still hospitalised, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

His Majesty King Abdullah condemned the attack in a Tweet, saying: “The heinous massacre against Muslims praying in peace in New Zealand is an appalling terrorist crime... may the victims’ souls rest in peace. Our condolences to the families and our Islamic Ummah.”

Condolences, prayers, support and donations following the incident were offered by citizens through social media platforms. 

A walk of solidarity was also organised in Amman’s Al Mugabalein.

“I cannot imagine how these people probably had plans to eat mansaf or drink chai after the prayer only to be killed during it. Their simple lives, ambitions and plans all robbed. May all the martyrs rest in peace and the injured victims be healed,” Tweeted Alaa Raihani.

“To kill people in a place of worship, that is just cowardly. How can someone store this much hate inside them?” said Moneer Husseini in a Facebook post.

Wasseim Alsati, a barber and father of four, was injured alongside his four-year-old daughter. Photos of Wasseim and his children circulated social media, evoking sympathy and solidarity around the world.

One of his friends who also resides in New Zealand, Fahad Dararjeh, reported that both Wasseim and his daughter are now in “stable condition”.

After undergoing surgery to get shrapnel and bone out of his hip socket, a surgery for a perforated bowel and an injury to his pelvis, Dararjeh reported that Wasseim “will not be able to work for a while”.

A fundraising page was created for him and almost $15,000 was raised for him by Jordanians and others who heard his story.

After winning a national barber competition twice, a post by Wasseim dated December 2018 said: “One of the major reasons I moved to New Zealand is that they don’t care who you are. They treat you as a human being. You are allowed to be whoever you are.”

Many shared his old post and praised his good intentions, calling him “a good man” and “a human of pure heart” who “did not deserve what he got”, as put by many online posts.

Little information is available on the other six injured Jordanians.

In an interview with Al Mamlaka TV, Maysoon Elayan, wife of an injured 62-year-old Jordanian whose name was unmentioned, said her husband was lying on the ground, in a pool of blood, next to five others. She later reported that he is now in good condition.

Other than information obtained through social media and the press, the names of the victims and the injured citizens were not officially announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who said it needs to “protect their right to privacy”.