Latest

User Rating: / 1
PoorBest 

New Democratic Front (NDF) presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa, who wound up his election campaign last night at Maradana, pledged to build an undivided nation and begin a golden era of development if he were elected president on November 16.

“My party will not harass rivalries if I win the election. If elected to office on November 16, I will commence work immediately and appoint a young team to run the country,” he said addressing a rally held earlier in Hambantota.

“I will appoint Ranjan Ramanayake as the minister in charge of the subject that deals with corrupted persons. We don’t need persons whose expiry date had lapsed. We will include the young and those who have a clean record to government positions,” he said.

Minutes later, he called Deputy Minister Ramanayake to call over near the podium only to announce that he would be given the task of dealing with corrupted people.

Also, he said no one should work towards pulling out anyone from the presidential fray over citizenship issues as he preferred to vie the SLPP contender. “I will win the election anyway. Therefore, no one should attempt removing anyone from the race,” he said.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who attended the rally said he had nothing much to say now other than asking people to elect a UNP president in order to prevent a dictatorial government from capturing power.

“We only formed a minority government in 2015. The president was not from our party. However, an opportunity had arrived to have a UNP president elected and then to form UNP controlled provincial councils," he said.

He added that Colombo Central was a place where the UNP had begun its success stories. “It is from Colombo Central where the late presidents J.R. Jayewardene and R. Premadasa were elected as Heads of State. It is from Colombo Central where people will elect Sajith as president," he said. (Yohan Perera)

Pix by

http://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking_news/Will-usher-in-a-golden-era-of-development-Sajith/108-177772

Latest

User Rating: / 1
PoorBest 

All the political parties affiliated to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) representing the Tamil community especially in the North and East, have pledged their full support to New Democratic Front Presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa. Five days ahead of the election, the Daily Mirror interviewed TNA MP and leading lawyer M. A. Sumanthiran who explained the reasons for the decision to support Premadasa and why the Tamil community would resist the return of Rajapaksas to power. Excerpts;

Q The Gotabaya Rajapaksa camp alleged that there are translation differences among Sinhala, Tamil and English versions of Sajith Premadasa’s manifesto with regard to the solution on ethnic issue. What is your view?

There are no differences. Sajith has agreed for the same constitutional process that has now reached the draft stage. One cannot conclude without knowing the manifesto and the journey of its process. So in that process there are two interim reports and this is how the words have been used. In Sinhala the word ‘Ekeeya’ is being used. In Tamil and English the equivalent words for unitary is not used. So ‘Ekeeya’ is used in the sense where it is one country. And there is a definition is given. In the interim report also it is clearly explained and a definition has been given. So the definition is not unitary neither federal. It merely says it’s one undivided and indivisible country in which powers of governance are in the centre and province as laid down in the Constitution. You don’t have to give it a label of any sort. India is not described as a unitary or federal state. Many countries in the world don’t describe these terms. We in Sri Lanka did not describe it until 1972. Soulbury Constitution never mentioned about unitary neither did it say federal. So you can have your own terms. The word Ekeeya denotes one, and just in case it is misunderstood as unitary that has been defined in the draft. But that doesn’t conclude as federal. What we wanted to do was to resolve the issue rather than hanging on with empty labels. I agree on the content and that we managed to do. And if you were to have some consensus, we had to annul that label. But we agreed to used the word ‘Ekeeya’ in Sinhala as literary meaning of that word only means one, nothing else. And Mahinda Rajapaksa should know this as his representatives were in the steering committee. We had long discussions on this. And now to come up with this statement as if he has discovered something new, is  a move  to deliberately mislead the people.

"If Gotabaya wins, our worry is that the process might not only be stopped but the land that have been released might be taken again"

Q So do you mean that Mahinda Rajapaksa is not telling the truth...

He is playing a racist card and trying to excite the people by showing that deliberate misleading is taking place. In fact, over a period of three and-a-half to four years, these have been discussed and consensus was reached. And it was in writing and has been made public. So Mr. Rajapaksa is deliberately trying to whip up the Sinhala nationalistic feelings against the others.

Q You have decided to support NDF Presidential Candidate Sajith Premadasa. Do you think this is the view and the decision of the entire Tamil community you represent?

Yes. When the election results come, you would see it. It is both ways. We have listened carefully to the sentiments of our people in making that decision and our people also carefully heed our advice when they vote. So it is a two-way process.

Q What about the divisions in the Tamil political arena?

There are no divisions in the Tamil political circuit. The TNA represents the Tamil people and nobody else does. We have 16 MPs out of 18 Tamil members representing the North and East. Even the other two; namely Douglas Devananda and Vijayakala Maheswaran were not elected for one seat. They came in through the highest number of floating votes. Therefore no one can say that there is disunity and there are others outside. We represent the Tamil people and there are others who were not elected. You won’t see this kind of unity in any other community in the country. So we have been given the mandate by the Tamil people, not anybody else. But we do consult with the others and we never stand against unity. We discuss with other political formations all the time but responsibility of making decisions eventually rest in our hands.

"we must first settle the issues and do the Constitutional reforms. And if that is done then, we will certainly invite the diaspora to come and invest"

Q Before 2015 the Nothern people complained that their lands have not been returned and in 2015 the govt said most of the lands were returned to their original owners. Do you agree with this and are you satisfied with the government policy on this issue?

A lot of lands have been returned. Government claims that 90 percent of private lands have been returned. It may not be 90 percent but about 80 percent. That is a huge achievement. Because at the end of 2013, the then government had stopped the process of releasing lands. And it had issued notice to acquire the remaining lands. But that process was stalled and more lands were released and there are still more to be released. But large portions have been released to the people’s for occupation. And that is a big triumph for us.

Q Do you believe if Sajith Premadasa is elected, the process would be continued?

Yes, it should continue because the process is still underway now. But if Gotabaya wins, our worry is that the process might not only be stopped but the land that have been released might be taken again.

Q There were some complaints by the Nothern people that there were heavy military presence in the peninsula. How do you react to these complaints?

For the past four years to five years, we have not seen heavy military presence. They are in the barracks. They hardly come out. That is in Jaffna. But in Vanni and a few other places, there were more prominent military presence. However, over the period of time it has been downsized.

Q There are also fears circulated specially in the South with regard to the opening the Palali airport for international flights attributing political reasons for it. What is your view?

We used to have flights from Palai to India up to the early 1980s. They were stopped because of the hostilities. Now that the way is over the flights should have started long time ago. Infact Mahinda Rajapaksas time when the Indian consulate in Jaffna was opened Minster S. M. Krishna came and at the opening ceremony he mentioned this that we must start the flights again. So it is high time that we started it.

"There are no divisions in the Tamil political circuit. The TNA represents the Tamil people and nobody else does. We have 16 MPs out of 18 Tamil members representing the North and East"

Q What about the issue of disappearances in the North? This has not being solved?
The disappearances issue is one that has been dragged on most without any result. But the Office of Missing Person was established, moneys were allocated and work has started but the progress has been very very slow leading the relatives being disillusioned. But the disappearance issue itself is a difficult issue and ten years on when there is no signs of anybody, how does one resolve it. Of course there should be investigation in each case. The relatives must know what happened to that person, so that this office is supposed to do. They still don’t seemed to have got their act together for various reason.

Q It is not only in the North and East but we saw there were alleged abductions and disappearances took place in South even in Colombo as well. There is an ongoing case of 11 Tamil students who were abducted. There were allegations of the involvement of Navy as well. What is your view?

Yes that has been found out as some people in the Navy did it for ransom. And the CID investigated and provided reports to the Magistrate. And there again there is evidence of interference in the processes. I saw that seven person had been indicted for the disappearance  of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda. But that is taking too much time because of kind of people who are involved in it.

Q But President promoted, a very senior Naval officer who is alleged to be involved in the incident?

Yes this happened when he comes under pressure to give into their side. But if it under Rajapaksa there won’t be that flip-flop and that all will be all in one direction that it will happen.

" In fact, over a period of three and-a-half to four years, these have been discussed and consensus was reached. And it was in writing and has been made public. So Mr. Rajapaksa is deliberately trying to whip up the Sinhala nationalistic feelings against the others"

Q There were hopes specially under last governments that the Tamils in the foreign countries would come back to Sri Lanka and invest and develop specially the North and East. What have you got to say about this?

That hasn’t happened to the levels we expected. But there seemed to be good reasons for that. People are still very apprehensive that the political situation here has not been estabilised. So if there is a political solution, a new constitution something like that, then I think that will give them adequate confidence to come back and invest.

Q If Sajith Premadasa, the candidate you support wins would you invite the Tamil community to come back to Sri Lanka?

No, we must first settle the issues and do the Constitutional reforms. And if that is done then, we will certainly invite the diaspora to come and invest.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/Rajapaksas-are-playing-the-Racist-card-TNA/231-177590

Latest

ජනාධිපතිවරණයේදී ඡන්දය ප්‍රකාශ කිරීම සඳහා 1 ඉලක්කම හෝ x සළකුණ හෝ සටහන් කරන්නැයි මැතිවරණ කොමිසමේ සභාපති මහින්ද දේශප්‍රිය මහතා පැවසීය.

ඡන්ද පත්‍රිකාවක 1 සහ x යන දෙකම සලකුණු කර තිබුණහොත් එම ඡන්ද පත්‍රිකාව අවලංගු කරන බවද ඔහු කීය.

කිසියම් ඡන්ද දායකයෙකුට මනාප සළකුණු කිරීමට අවශ්‍යනම් අංක 1 යොදා ඡන්දය ප්‍රකාශ කළ හැකි අතර 2 සහ 3 යොදා මනාප සළකුණු කළ හැකි බවද මහින්ද දේශප්‍රිය මහතා පවසයි.

X සළකුණ සහ ඉලක්කම් වර්ග දෙකම සළකුණු කර ඇති ඡන්ද පත්‍රිකා අවලංගු බවද ඔහු කියයි.

http://www.lankadeepa.lk/latest_news/%E0%B6%A1%E0%B6%B1%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%AF%E0%B6%BA-%E0%B6%B4%E0%B7%8A%E2%80%8D%E0%B6%BB%E0%B6%9A%E0%B7%8F%E0%B7%81-%E0%B6%9A%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%BB%E0%B7%93%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%9A%E0%B6%AF%E0%B7%93-1-%E0%B6%89%E0%B6%BD%E0%B6%9A%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%9A%E0%B6%B8-%E0%B7%84%E0%B7%9D-x-%E0%B7%83%E0%B7%85%E0%B6%9A%E0%B7%94%E0%B6%AB-%E0%B6%BA%E0%B7%9C%E0%B6%AF%E0%B6%B1%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%B1/1-560565

Latest

User Rating: / 1
PoorBest 

Attack comes a week after Lasantha Wijeratne published a book criticising the main opposition candidate.

Armed men have stabbed and injured a Sri Lankan writer in the southern Galle district, a week after he published a book criticising the main opposition candidate in Saturday's presidential polls, police said.

The attackers stormed the home of Lasantha Wijeratne on Thursday, who released his book Wasteful Development and Corruption last week and gave a copy to the ruling party candidate Sajith Premadasa."Four men broke into the house and stabbed him in the arm after holding a pistol to his wife's head," Wijeratne's lawyer Tharaka Nanayakkara told AFP news agency by telephone. "They smashed furniture before escaping."
Local media published a photo appearing to show Wijeratne in hospital with a bandaged arm, while Sri Lanka's Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) said on Twitter that the writer had been injured in the hand.

Nanayakkara said the attackers accused Wijeratne of harming the campaign of Gotabaya Rajapaksa who is believed to be in a close race with Premadasa for the presidency.Gotabaya is the brother of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, during whose decade in power until 2015 at least 14 journalists were killed, according to Reporters Without Borders.
Police said they have launched an investigation into the incident in the south of the island nation, but were yet to arrest any suspects.
It came even as Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said the campaign had been relatively peaceful compared with previous polls.
However, he said the behaviour of both private and state-controlled television networks had been highly biased and he hoped to prosecute offenders after the election.

Tense election
No media organisation has yet been prosecuted for violating election laws, but last week, Deshapriya banned a state TV network from broadcasting any political content after accusing it of partisan coverage.
However, the Commission reversed the move the next day following protests that it was not being even-handed with all media outlets violating campaign rules governing broadcasts.
"The run-up to the election was relatively peaceful, but the campaign in the media is the worst we have ever seen," Deshapriya said.

Campaign rallies ended on Wednesday night leaving a two-day cooling period before Saturday's poll in which 16 million people are eligible to elect a leader from a record 35 candidates - including two Buddhist monks and just one woman.  Frontrunners Premadasa and Rajapaksa wrapped up their final rallies amid tight security involving hundreds of elite police and paramilitary units.  Premadasa, 52, is the son of assassinated President Ranasinghe Premadasa, who was killed in a suicide bombing in 1993 carried out by Tamil separatists, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).  Gotabya Rajapaksa narrowly escaped a suicide bomb attack in 2006 blamed on the LTTE.  While ethnic tensions have eased, this year the country was rocked by coordinated bombings on Easter Sunday that killed at least 269 people.   The European Union on Wednesday despatched 30 additional election observers around the country, joining 50 who have been in Sri Lanka for a month following the campaign.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/sri-lankan-author-attacked-key-presidential-polls-191114085248686.html

Latest

User Rating: / 1
PoorBest 

Assalamu Alaykum W W,

Please Note that 2018 Voters List is been used to Issue Polling Cards for 16th November Presidential Election and if you have not received your Polling Card please verify your details with below link :

https://eservices.elections.gov.lk/myVoterRegistration.aspx

Latest

User Rating: / 2
PoorBest 

The Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) said: "There are seven whom Allah will shade in His Shade on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade: a just ruler; a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; a man whose heart is attached to the mosques; two men who love each other for Allah's sake, meeting for that and parting upon that; a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position (for illegal intercourse), but be says: 'I fear Allah', a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity; and a man who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears.'"

(Abu Hurairah & collected in Saheeh al-Bukhari (English trans.) vol.1, p.356, no.629 & Saheeh Muslim (English trans.) vol.2, p.493, no.2248)

In this beautiful Hadith, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) spoke about small acts of worship which result in such a huge reward: shade on the Day when there will be no shade except His Shade. This may not seem like much at first but then reflect upon the following Hadith: 'On the Day of Resurrection, the sun would draw so close to the people that there would be left a distance of only one mile. The people will be submerged in perspiration according to their deeds, some up to their ankles, some up to their knees, some up to the waist and some would have the bridle of perspiration and, while saying this, the Messenger of Allah put his hand towards his mouth.' (al Miqdaad ibn Aswad & collected in Saheeh Muslim (Eng. trans) vol.4, p.1487-8, no. 6852}.

And in another Hadith, some will be submerged in sweat 'seventy arm-lengths in the earth.' (Abu Hurairah and collected in Saheeh al-Bukhari (Eng. trans.) vol.8, p.353, no.539) and Muslim (Eng. trans.) vol.4, p.l487, no.6851)

So who would want more then, on this Day, than to be under the Shade and protection of Allah Azza wa Jall?

Let us examine now the characteristics and virtues of these seven categories of people who will be worthy of such an exalted position on the Day of Gathering:

1. 'A Just Ruler'

The concept of Justice in Islam is very important and it is something which the Muslim - Ruler and the ruled - must apply in all matters without exception. Justice means to give each the right he deserves: Muslim or non-Muslim, relative or stranger, friend or enemy. Allah says: '...And do not let hatred cause you to act unjustly, that is nearer to piety (al-Maa'idah 8).

Unfortunately, even if we admit this in theory, we quickly forget it in practice. So we find that when we speak about our friends and loved ones, we praise them beyond reason and when we speak about those whom we hold difference with, we can find no good in them and we just capitalize on their bad points. This is far removed from the justice which Allah loves and gives great reward for, as mentioned in the following Hadith: 'The doers of justice will be on thrones of light at Allah's Right Hand - and both of Allah's Hands are Right Hands" - those who were just in their Ruling, with their families and in all that over which they were given authority.

The Prophet assigning to Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud the open spaces in Madina between the dwellings and palm gardens of the Ansar, and when the Banu Abd Ibn Zuhrah said, "Remove from us the son of Umm Abd (Ibn Mas'ud)," replying, 'Why then did Allah send me? Allah does not bless a people among whom a weak man is not given his right.'" (Baghawi transmitted it in Sharh as-Sunnah. Sunan at-Tirmidhi no.3003)

The concept of justice is most important for the Ruler, since he is in charge of his people and the primary disposer of justice in the land. For this reason, the Ruler is given special mention as one of the seven who will be honored with Allah's Shade.

2 'A youth who grew up in the worship of Allah'

The great scholar, Ayyoob as-Sakhtiyaanee (d.131H) said, "From the success of a youth is that Allah guides him to a scholar of the Sunnah. (Hasan - Reported in Sharh Usoolis-Sunnah of al-Laalikaa'ee no.30).

Indeed, it is a great blessing from Allah for a youth to be guided towards worship and be befriended by the righteous, since it is in youth that a person is most vulnerable to the temptations of life and liable to drift away from the Islamic Path. This becomes apparent when we look at society around us and we see that most of the worldly distractions, such as music, games, clubs, fashion etc. are all specifically targeted at the young. "You're only young once!" they are told, which is why many Muslims nowadays waste their youth thinking that they will pray, wear Hijaab and go to Hajj, etc. when they are old, as if they have a guarantee of longevity from Allah! How well we would do to heed the Prophet's advice when he said: 'Take benefit of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you are preoccupied and your life before your death.' Sahih - Narrated by Ibn Abbaas & collected in al-Haakim & others. Authenticated by Shaikh 'Alee ibn 'Abdul Hameed in Forty Hadith of the Call and the Caller.

3. 'A man whose heart is attached to the mosques'

There is great encouragement in the Sunnah for men to pray in the mosques and the reward associated with it is tremendous. Not only does it make the person eligible for Allah's Shade on the day of Judgment, but, 'he does not take a step towards the mosque except that because of it, he is raised by one rank and one sin is removed from him. Then when he prays, the Angels do not cease supplicating for him (for) as long as he remains at his place of Prayer (sayings): O Allah send blessings upon him, O Allah have mercy upon him...' (Abu Hurairah & collected in Sahih al-Bukhari (Eng. trans.) vol. 1 p.352 no.620).

It must be emphasized here however, that all the Hadith encouraging the men to be attached to the mosques are not intended to lead one to the conclusion that Islam is a religion which should be confined to the mosques, as many people imagine. Nonetheless, the mosque should be at the heart of the Muslim community, and the role of those in authority of the mosques is vital here. They are the ones mainly responsible for making the mosque a welcome refuge for the Muslims, rather than an arena for politics and power struggles as many seem to have become these days. And we seek Allah's refuge from this!

4. 'Two men who love each other for Allah's sake, meeting for that and parting upon that'

Having mutual love for the sake of Allah is one of the great doors leading to the good of the Hereafter and a cause of tasting the sweetness of Eemaan in this world. Loving one another for Allah's sake means that the Muslim does not love another except for the correctness of his Deen. So it does not matter what the person looks like, what he wears, how rich or poor he is, where he comes from, or what the color of his skin is - perhaps you dislike everything about him, but you love him for his Eemaan: this is loving for Allah's sake.

'Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent says: 'Those who have mutual love for the sake of My Glory will have pillars of light and will be envied the Prophets and martyrs.' (Sahih - Collected in Sunan at-Tirmidhee & Musnad Ahmad: 5/336-7).

Subhan Allah! Imagine being envied by Allah's chosen Messengers and those who were slain in His Path! Such is the reward of those who love one another for Allah's sake.

5. 'A man who is called by a woman of beauty and position but he says: 'I fear Allah'

This world is full of temptations which lead to burning in the Fire and amongst them is that which comes from women. Many a man has led his soul into destruction on account of the lure of a woman which is why the Prophet warned his Ummah specifically about this. He said, "The world is sweet and green and verily Allah is going to install you as successors upon it in order to see how you act. So avoid the allurement of women: verily the first trial for the Children of Israa'eel was caused by women." (Aboo Sa'eed al-Khudree & collected in Saheeh Muslim (Eng. trans.) vol.4, p.1432, no.6606)

The most important provision which we need to protect ourselves from this and all other temptations in life is the fear (khawf) of Allah. This fact is alluded to in the following Quranic Ayah: "And as for him who feared standing before his Lord and restrained himself from impure evil desires, verily Paradise will be his abode." (an- Naazi'aat:40-41)

6. 'A man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity'

This describes the type of person who goes to great lengths to protect himself from ar-Riyaa. Ar-Riyaa means to do deeds in order to earn the praise and recognition of people. This sin destroys all the benefits that lie in righteous deeds and brings on a serious punishment for the one who commits it. It is particularly dangerous because it is in man's nature to desire and enjoy the praise of others. Thus, great care has to be token to ensure that one's intentions begin and remain pure whenever good actions (such as charity) are being done. Not like what we see today where we have mosque notice boards announcing who gave what to whom, why and when! Allah warns: "O you who believe! Do not render vain your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men and he does not believe in Allah nor in the Last Day." (al-Baqarah:264). May Allah preserve us from this.

7. 'A man who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears.'

Our noble Prophet (p.b.u.h.) informed us: "If you knew what l knew, you would laugh little and weep much." (Aboo Hurairah and Anas & collected in Saheeh al-Bukhari (Eng. trans.) vol.8, p.326-327, nos.492 and 493)

Crying is not a sissy thing to do. The Prophet, who was the best of all creations, would weep as would all of his Companions. Tears are a genuine expression of fear of Allah's Punishment and of our sincere love and awe of Him. But how often do we remember Allah in seclusion and are then moved to tears? How much do we laugh and how little do we weep? The Prophet said, 'There is nothing more beloved to Allah than two drops and two marks: A tear shed due to fear of Allah, and a drop of blood spilled in the path of Allah. And as for the two marks, then a mark caused in the path of Allah, and a mark caused by fulfilling one of the duties made obligatory by Allah." (Hasan - collected by at-Tirmidhee and al-Mishkaat: 3837)

Source : http://islam.ru/en/content/story/seven-under-shade-allah-swt

Latest

User Rating: / 3
PoorBest 

Please visit below Link and verify your details with 2019 Voter's List:

https://eservices.elections.gov.lk/myVoterRegistrationDraft.aspx

Latest

User Rating: / 2
PoorBest 

• NEWS
• /
• ASIA PACIFIC

New Zealand cabinet agrees on tougher gun laws in principle: PM

Jacinda Ardern also announces an inquiry into Christchurch mosque attacks that left 50 people dead.

7 hours ago

Ardern said the details are still to be worked out but the changes to the country's firearms laws will be announced in full within 10 days [The Office of the Prime Minister of New Zealand via Getty Images]

MORE ON NEW ZEALAND ATTACK

• New Zealand cabinet agrees on tougher gun laws in principle: PMtoday
• NZ mosque gunman 'rational', lawyer says after he's firedtoday
• Australian police search homes linked to NZ mosque gunmantoday
• New Zealand mosque attacks: Who is Brenton Tarrant?today

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that her cabinet has made an in-principle decision to tighten gun ownership in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosques massacre.

"We have made a decision as a cabinet, we are unified," said Ardern.

The New Zealand prime minister also announced an inquiry into the mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch on Friday that left 50 people dead.

Ardern said the details are still to be worked out but the changes to the country's firearms laws will be announced in full within 10 days.

She also said that while the man charged with carrying out the shootings was not a New Zealand citizen, it could not ignore the problem of white supremacy supporters within the country.

"We're here, this is our home and we're staying" (2:04)

A Christchurch gun shop on Monday acknowledged selling guns online to the 28-year-old white supremacist accused of killing 50 people in mosque shootings.

Anti-immigrant manifesto

At a news conference, "Gun City" owner David Tipple said the store sold four guns and ammunition to suspect Brenton Harrison Tarrant through a "police-verified online mail-order process".

Ardern has said the attacker used five guns, two of them semi-automatic, which were purchased with an ordinary gun licence and modified.

READ MORE

New Zealand gunman sent manifesto to PM minutes before attack

It was not clear if any of the firearms Tarrant purchased from Gun City were used in Friday's shootings.

"We detected nothing extraordinary about this licence holder," Tipple said, referring to the shooter.

Gun City has been criticised for leaving out a roadside advertising billboard that shows a parent helping children with rifle target practice in the wake of the shootings.

On Monday, Tarrant's lawyer said his client was not mentally unstable and planned to represent himself in the court.

At his first court appearance, Tarrant didn't speak but appeared unrepentant, smirking at journalists and flashing an upside down "okay" sign - a symbol associated with white power groups around the world.

The suspect had posted a muddled, 74-page anti-immigrant manifesto online before the attacks and apparently used a helmet-mounted camera to broadcast live video of the slaughter.

Facebook said it removed 1.5 million videos of the shootings during the first 24 hours after the massacre.

The revelation in a tweet provided a chilling snapshot of how quickly provocative and often disturbing images circulate on the internet.

Delay in burials

The New Zealand prime minister, who has earned praise for the handling of the mass shootings, said her view is that more can "and should" be done to prevent such content from being shared on social media.

Ardern was the first signatory of a national condolence book for the country's worst mass killing that she opened in the capital Wellington on Monday.

READ MORE

Australian police search homes linked to NZ mosque gunman

"On behalf of all New Zealanders, we grieve together. We are one. They are us," she wrote in the book.

Frustration was building among the families of victims as under Islam it is custom to conduct burials within 24 hours, but bodies will not be released until post-mortems are carried out.

Deputy Police Commissioner Wally Haumaha said the first body was approved for release on Sunday night, but the family was yet to take the body because another relative was also killed and they wanted to collect them together. He said there would be no burials on Monday.

"We've been working fairly hard through the night to ensure the process of returning the deceased to their loved ones is taking place expediently," he said.

The burial process, which usually involves washing with three kinds of water, salving wounds and scrubbing skin, would be complicated, volunteers in Christchurch said.

INSIDE STORY

New Zealand mosque attack: Can online hate speech be stopped?

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

• New Zealand attack
• Asia Pacific
• New Zealand
• Gun violence
• Gun control

Have your say.Give us feedback.

Sign up for ourNewsletter.

Advertisement

Advertisement

• NEWS
• /
• NEW ZEALAND

Grief and frustration as families wait to bury NZ attack victims

Racked by anguish, the relatives of those murdered in two mosque attacks are desperate to lay loved ones to rest.

by David Child

18 Mar 2019 01:29 GMT

Christchurch, New Zealand - In a quiet corner of Memorial Park Cemetery, the graves dug out for the dozens of Muslim worshippers murdered in the worst mass shooting in New Zealand's modern history stretch out, row upon row, in every direction.

Around them sit mounds of excavated soil, waiting to fill in the gaping holes carefully carved out of the earth.

Elsewhere, grieving mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, daughters and sons are waiting, too.

More than 48 hours after a suspected far-right gunman killed at least 50 people during what has been labelled a "terrorist" attack on two Christchurch mosques, the relatives of those missing and presumed dead are racked by anguish, desperate to lay their loved ones to rest.

"I haven't slept for two days," 31-year-old Farhana Akhter says outside a makeshift victim support centre in Christchurch, a city that is home to a few thousand Muslims.

"I can't eat or drink; I need to see my aunt's body as soon as possible … so we can have relief."

Farhana Akhter and Nusrat Alam say they have been informed by authorities that their aunt, Husna Ahmed, was killed in Friday's attack [David Child/Al Jazeera]

White-supremacist attack

Akhter's relative, Husna Ahmed, was among the more than 40 people shot dead on Friday at the Al Noor mosque in central Christchurch - one of the two places of worship that came under attack, the other being Linwood mosque, some seven kilometres away.

READ MORE

40 years after escaping war, Afghan killed in Christchurch mosque

A 28-year-old Australian man, identified as Brenton Harrison Tarrant, has been charged with one count of murder, with many more expected.

In his own words, published in a rambling, racist and overtly white-supremacist online manifesto minutes before the attack, the suspect said he had decided "to commit to violence" against non-whites and immigrants, arguing they were destroying societal cohesion.

Al Jazeera English✔@AJEnglish

“She saved everyone’s life but unfortunately she sacrificed her life.”

Farhana Akhter tells Al Jazeera about her aunt’s courage during the mass shootings on two mosques in Christchurch on Friday.

1,023

11:30 PM - Mar 17, 2019

598 people are talking about this

Twitter Ads info and privacy

Husna, 45, was attending Friday prayers, as usual, when the gunman armed with semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity magazines stormed Al Noor mosque and opened fire indiscriminately on everyone inside.

"My auntie, she was ushering all the ladies out to make sure they all got out," says 19-year-old Nusrat Alam, another niece of Husna's.

"She came back in, to look for my uncle, who is disabled, and that's when she was shot by the gunman," she adds.

"It's a very big step to see the body. A lot of other people are frustrated like us too."

Christchurch mosque shootings: New Zealand mourns (2:29)

Authorities pledge speed, sensitivity

Authorities in New Zealand have not made official public statements naming the victims, but have pledged to move as swiftly as possible in returning bodies to the victims' families, while stressing the need for accurate identification and evidence gathering first.

READ MORE

New Zealand mosque attack: Who were the victims?

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said some bodies would be returned to victims' families on Sunday evening and expressed hope that all of those killed would be with their relatives again by Wednesday at the latest.

Ardern's comments came after Mike Bush, New Zealand's police chief, said officials were "aware of the cultural and religious needs" of Muslim victims, identifying and releasing bodies as "quickly and sensitively as possible".

Muslims are customarily buried within 24 hours of death. Before their burial, the bodies are washed and wrapped in a white shroud so that funeral prayers can be conducted.

The delay enforced in the aftermath of Friday's tragedy is deeply traumatising, but understandable given the scale of the attack, says 44-year-old Waleed Washsh on the outskirts of a public vigil at the Al Noor mosque.

"It is still difficult for a lot of people not to be able to see their loved ones and the dead bodies, even just to get reassurance that they have passed away," adds Washsh, who lost three friends in the attack.

"But we have a lot of confidence that the government and their agencies are doing their absolute best and they are working around the clock to get those names identified."

'A beautiful soul'

Help is coming from other corners, too.

Family members, members of the Muslim community and others have travelled to Christchurch from various places across New Zealand in a bid to help out as volunteers in the aftermath of the mosque attacks.

READ MORE

'Hello, brother': Muslim worshipper's 'last words' to gunman

Javed Dadabhai, who says his cousin Junaid was murdered on Friday, is one of them. He flew down from Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city and home to most of the country's 50,000 Muslims.

"My cousin was a beautiful soul; he was very softly spoken and a very kind-hearted person. He was just gentle," Dadabhai, 30, says.

"He expressed that in every part of his life," he adds.

Now Dadabhai is part of a team helping organise the release of Junaid's and others' bodies and, in time, their burials. He says that could take the volunteers, which are coordinating with authorities, up to a week.

"The families have been so patient with regards to how long this process has taken," Dadabhai says.

"From an Islamic point of view, there was a want to receive the dead immediately and start the grieving process ... but they realise that this is not like any other incident, especially in New Zealand ... so it's a stop-start to the families' grieving process - they want to begin it but they are being paused too," he adds.

"Hopefully it's going to get better though, as the names [of those killed] are starting to get released to the families, you can see they feel they are finally allowed to cry, to release some of their grief."

INSIDE STORY

Why is Islamophobia increasing in Western countries?

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA NEWS

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/zealand-cabinet-agrees-tougher-gun-laws-principle-pm-190318054656685.html

Latest

User Rating: / 2
PoorBest 

Media captionJacinda Ardern: "This can only be described as a terrorist attack"

Forty people have been killed and more than 20 wounded in shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Australian prime minister Scott Morrison described the gunman, who had Australian citizenship, as an "extremist, right-wing" terrorist.

Four people - three men and one woman - were in custody in connection with the shooting, New Zealand police said.

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern called it one of New Zealand's darkest days".

What do we know at this point?

New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush confirmed that "multiple fatalities" were recorded at two locations.

The first report of an attack came from the Al Noor mosque, located in central Christchurch. Witnesses told local media they ran for their lives, and saw people bleeding on the ground outside the building.

A second mosque in the suburb of Linwood was evacuated, but there were few details from that site.

Police also defused "a number of IEDs (explosive devices) attached to vehicles", Mr Bush said.

Authorities advised all mosques in the city to shut down until further notice. Armed police were also seen at Papanui High School in Christchurch, which was cordoned off.

• Live coverage of the New Zealand mosque shooting

It was not immediately clear how many gunmen there were. The Australian suspect is believed to have published a manifesto outlining his intentions, in which he espoused far right and anti-immigrant ideology.

He also appeared to have livestreamed on Facebook from a head-mounted camera as he shot victims in a mosque. Police called on the public not to share the "extremely distressing" footage online.

Facebook said it had removed the shooter's Facebook and Instagram accounts and was working to remove any copies of the footage.

What happened at the mosques?

The sequence of events remains unclear and has mostly come via eyewitness reports to local media.

Image copyrightREUTERSImage captionThe Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand - location of one of the shootings

One unnamed survivor told TV New Zealand he was at the Al Noor mosque, and saw a gunman shoot a man directly in the chest. The attacker reportedly targeted the men's prayer room in the mosque, then moved to the women's room.

"What I did was basically just waiting and praying, God please, let this guy run out of bullets," the witness said. "He came to this side, he shot this side, he went to another room and went to the ladies' section and shot them. I just heard one of the ladies has died."

A Palestinian man who asked not to be named told the AFP news agency he heard rapid gunfire and saw a man shot in the head.

"I heard three quick shots, then after about 10 seconds it started again - it must have been an automatic, no one could pull a trigger that quick," he said. "Then people started running out. Some were covered in blood."

A second mosque in the suburb of Linwood was also evacuated. The police commissioner said "multiple fatalities" were recorded at two locations.

How have authorities responded?

Multiple casualties were brought to Christchurch Hospital where there was a heavy police presence. A spokeswoman said Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) had activated its mass casualty plan, the New Zealand news site Stuff.co.nz reported.

Police earlier cleared Cathedral Square, where thousands of children had been holding a rally for action on climate change.

Police Commissioner Bush said: "Police are responding with its full capability to manage the situation, but the risk environment remains extremely high. Police recommend that residents across Christchurch remain off the streets and indoors until further notice."

A lockdown on all schools in Christchurch was lifted, and parents told could collect their children.

Media captionPeople injured in the shooting have been arriving in ambulances at a hospital in Christchurch

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison tweeted: "I'm horrified by the reports I'm following of the serious shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand. The situation is still unfolding but our thoughts and prayers are with our Kiwi cousins."

Cricket team escape attack

The Bangladesh national cricket team appeared to have narrowly escaped the shooting. A reporter following the team, which was due to play New Zealand in a now-cancelled test match on Saturday, tweeted that the team had "escaped from a mosque near Hagley Park where there were active shooters".

Player Tamim Iqbal tweeted that the "entire team got saved from active shooters".

Bangladesh Cricket Board spokesman Jalal Yunus said most of the team had gone to mosque by bus and were about to go inside when the incident took place.

"They are safe. But they are mentally shocked. We have asked the team to stay confined in the hotel," he told the AFP news agency.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47578798

Latest

Ambulance staff take a wounded man from outside the mosque in central Christchurch on Friday [Mark Baker/AP]

Forty nine people have been killed and at least 20 others injured in shootings at two mosques in New Zealand city of Christchurch in the worst attack in the Pacific country's history.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a news conference that the mosque shootings appear to have been a well-planned "terrorist attack".

"This is, and will be, one of New Zealand's darkest days," an ashen-faced Ardern said.

The prime minister also said two explosive devices attached to suspect vehicles were found and have been disarmed.

The two known targets were the Masjid Al Noor in central Christchurch, and a second mosque in suburban Linwood.

Sam Clarke, a reporter with TVNZ, spoke with several people inside the Masjid Al Noor mosque when the shooting began. He told Al Jazeera a man entered with an automatic weapon and began firing.

"A gunman - dressed in black with a helmet carrying a machine gun - came into the back of the mosque and started firing into the people praying there," said Clarke. It was later confirmed that 30 worshippers were killed at the mosque, including women and children.

Police also confirmed that 10 people have been killed at the Linwood mosque during Friday prayers.

Al Jazeera English✔@AJEnglish

· 3h

Two mosques attacked in New Zealand by gunmen with 'a number of fatalities' as police arrest four suspects - 3 men and a woman.

Follow live updates: https://aje.io/gjw2j

More on the story: https://aje.io/42f99

Al Jazeera English✔@AJEnglish

Two mosques have been attacked in New Zealand by gunmen resulting in a 'number of fatalities'. Police have arrested four suspects - 3 men and a woman.

More on the story: https://aje.io/42f99 pic.twitter.com/kJTLzziAru

1,506

11:04 - 15 Mar 2019

Twitter Ads information and privacy

2,015 people are talking about this

Authorities have urged people in central Christchurch to stay indoors.

Police warned worshippers not to visit mosques "anywhere in New Zealand". A lockdown imposed throughout Christchurch was called off at about 05:00 GMT.

Police Commissioner Mike Bush said four suspects, including a woman, were in custody in connection with the attacks.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison condemned the attack and said one of the suspects was an Australian national, calling him an "extremist, right-wing, violent terrorist".

He said Australian security authorities were investigating any links between the country and the attack, but declined to provide further details about the Australian gunman.

"It is such a sad and devastating reminder of the evil that can be ever present about us," a visibily emotional Morrison said.

Police patrol outside the Masjid Al Noor mosque in central Christchurch [Mark Baker/AP]

Dressed in black

Eye witness Len Peneha said he saw a man dressed in black enter the Masjid Al Noor mosque and then heard dozens of shots, followed by people running from the mosque in terror.

He said he also saw the gunman flee before emergency services arrived.

Peneha - who lives next to the mosque - said he went into the building to try and help. "I saw dead people everywhere."

One man in the mosque, with blood stains all over his clothes, said he hid under a bench as the shooting took place. He said about 50 people were inside the building.

Sam Clarke said some worshippers managed to escape through windows and doors but "many people had been hit, some as young as 16".

About 10 to 15 people were seen outside the mosque, "some alive, some dead", he said.

Farid Ahmed, a wheelchair-bound witness in Christchurch told Al Jazeera he was at the back of the mosque and heard the shooting for about seven minutes.

"I pushed myself at the back where my car was parked and I was behind the car. And from there I was hearing shooting after shooting," he said.

"After about 10 minutes I thought the shooter has left. I pushed myself to get inside the mosque and it was unbelievable. I saw in the main room on the right-hand side more than 20 people, some of them dead, some screaming.

"I saw on the floor hundreds of bullet shells. I saw one guy trying to run out and he was shot dead."

Ramzan Ali, a second witness in Christchurch, said he heard one of the women died.

"The mosque has segments you know, he shot inside, went to another room, shot there. There is the ladies section, he went and shot them. I just heard one of the ladies died, I am hoping that it is not true," he said.

Tahir Nawaz of the International Muslim Association of New Zealand said they have decided to restrict activities at the mosques.

"The whole community is shocked. They would never have expected anything like this [to happen] in this peaceful country. As a result of that [the attack], we are restricting our activities in the mosque and we are trying to keep safety in our area."

Police escort people away from outside a mosque in central Christchurch, New Zealand [Mark Baker/The Associated Press]

One of the gunmen shared a livestream of the attack on Facebook and posted content on Instagram. Facebook said it has taken down the video and was removing praise for the gunman.

"Police are aware there is extremely distressing footage relating to the incident in Christchurch circulating online," a police statement said. "We would strongly urge that the link not be shared. We are working to have any footage removed."

There were reports racist literature was left behind at the scene denouncing "invaders".

Commissioner Bush said local police officers apprehended the four suspects. "There's been some absolute acts of bravery," he said without elaborating.

"I won't assume there aren't others but I don't have any information to that effect," Bush told a press conference.

He said a number of bombs were detected and neutralised on the attackers' automobiles.

"There were a few reports of IEDs strapped to vehicles which we were able to secure," he said, referring to improved explosive devices.

Asked by reporters whether police considered Friday's carnage a "terrorist attack", Bush said an investigation was under way.

Bangladesh team

ESPN Cricinfo reporter Mohammed Isam said members of the Bangladesh cricket team, who are set to play a test match in Christchurch on Saturday, escaped from the mosque.

Mario Villavarayen, strength and conditioning coach of the Bangladesh cricket team, was quoted by the New Zealand Herald as saying the team was close to where the shooting occurred, but was safe.

"The players are shaken up but fine," Villavarayen was quoted as saying.

Tamim Iqbal Khan✔@TamimOfficial28

Entire team got saved from active shooters!!! Frightening experience and please keep us in your prayers #christchurchMosqueAttack

11.4K

7:32 AM - Mar 15, 2019

Twitter Ads info and privacy

3,969 people are talking about this

Eye witness Peneha described the scene at Masjid Al Noor as " unbelievable".

"I don't understand how anyone could do this to these people, to anyone. It's ridiculous. I've lived next door to this mosque for about five years and the people are great, they're very friendly. I just don't understand it," he said.

Muslims account for just one percent of New Zealand's population, a 2013 census showed.

"Many of those who would have been affected by this shooting may be migrants to New Zealand," Ardern said.

"They may even be refugees here. They have chosen to make New Zealand their home and it is their home ... they are us. The persons who perpetuated this violence against us ... have no place in New Zealand."

Mass shootings in New Zealand are exceedingly rare. The deadliest in modern history occurred in the small town of Aramoana in 1990, when gunman David Gray shot and killed 13 people following a dispute with a neighbour.

A man reacts as he speaks on a mobile phone near a mosque in central Christchurch [Mark Baker/ The Associated Press]

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/shooter-situation-zealand-mosque-attack-190315015927391.html

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

• New Zealand
• Asia Pacific

Have your say.Give us feedback.

Sign up for ourNewsletter.