|
Lianne Dalziel Visit .jpg) We were privileged to host our mayor and hear her thoughts about the events on and following March 15th.
Lianne shared that she is often asked to talk about this and still finds it surreal in terms of how this could possibly happen here or anywhere in New Zealand.
In Lianne’s opinion, the attack had nothing to do with culture or faith. She felt that it was designed to inspire more violence and to encourage others to do the same.
She appreciated our Prime Minister calling it a terror attack, because these attacks are often described as the workings of a ‘lone wolf’. These individuals do not act alone. They have a supportive network through the part of the internet they call the ‘dark web’.
She noted also our Prime Minister’s amazing response, which was captured in a photo of Jacinda Ardern wearing a head scarf and hugging a Muslim woman. This was displayed on the world's tallest building, the 829m-high Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and the word ‘peace’ in both Arabic and English.
This highlights how significant her response was, in terms of how the rest of the world responded to what happened.
Lianne feels that by focussing on our response as a city and a country, will help provide some of the answers the world is looking for in terms of how we respond to terrorism, to reduce the risk of retaliation and avoid further violence.
She mentioned the words from the Muslim communities, which also emphasised peace, love and forgiveness. “We are broken hearted but not broken” & “we will not be divided” were inspiring words from the Imam at the Call to Prayer.
Lianne said she still found it hard to believe that the hatred that drove this attack could exist in our city, where people could be judged by what they wear or the colour of their skin. But the truth is that it exists. We all remember the bus driver, who closed the door on the young woman wearing a hijab. Lianne knows there are many more examples.
Her message was we need to be able to help people feel safe, and that given we have come together to stand beside our Muslim brothers & sisters as “one”, we need to make sure that is for now and in the future. These reflect our key values as a community. We need to build bridges between communities and we can do that. Our own Rotary members could invite members of the wider community to engage in coffee mornings to get to know each other better.
Commenting further on the response to the attack, Lianne felt that the coming together of key communities in support of each other was also a great example of how to get the healing process underway. She mentioned the strong relationship that developed between local Maori and members of the Muslim communities. She also commented on the extraordinary response of the hospitals and support services that immediately swung into action. “I was so proud at how everyone simply stepped up to what was needed to be done with compassion and kindness” she continued and felt that this increased her understanding of the profound impact of these types of acts.
She finished by sharing that she feels it is not about tolerance, but about being in a place where we stand as one and embrace dignity & respect regardless of where we were born or what our beliefs are. Being courageous means speaking with our whole heart, and this sets the tone for everything we do.
We thanked Lianne for her sharing her thoughts and insights on this tragic event. |
