Last year, an incident took place amidst the usual calm of one of the most peaceful countries of the world, suggesting that terrorism has no religion. Today, New Zealand marked the first anniversary of the Christchurch massacre it witnessed when a white supremacist gunman 51 innocent people.
The Christchurch mosques massacre shook the world that witnessed this human tragedy that was broadcast live on Facebook, through the head-mounted camera as it was intended by the white supremacist killer.
The video went viral across the world moments after, depicting innocent worshippers clamoring before the killers as the last sighs of desperation.
Sarcastically, neither the killer knew why he was killing except for his self-created fear of extinction at the hands of the non-white race. Nor the victims knew why they were becoming the fodder of psychopathic satiation.
However, the incident shaped the course of this year for New Zealand that planned to mark an official remembrance service in the commemoration of the victims. But the plan was perturbed by a more immediate concern of the global nature: coronavirus.
Despite the fears of the contagion, a crowd still gathered to sing and dance in honor of 51 people who fell victim to the hatred of the white supremacist. Indeed, it served to signalize the world that it was a sporadic incidence of madness and to ensure the majority still sided with the reason and humanity.
Brenton Tarrant, 29, was the man who reconstructed a video game-like carnage last March at the An-Nur mosque and the Linwood Islamic Center. He was arrested soon after the killing spree.
What is White Supremacy?
According to Anti-Defamation League (ADF), A Jewish NGO based in the US, “White supremacy is far more encompassing than simple racism and bigotry.”
Describing further ADL notes, “White supremacy is a matter of survival for most white people who espouse this ideology.”
A majority of white people believe they are on the verge of extinction due to the rising numbers of non-white in their societies. They think a prompt action is needed to save the white race.
Deadliest Attacks in the US!
In less than a year between 2018 and 2019, the US witnessed two of the deadliest white supremacist attacks in its recent history.
In October 2018, a white supremacist gunman stormed the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He murdered 11 worshippers, making it the deadliest attack on Jews in US history.
Nine months later, another white supremacist opened fire at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, killing 22 people.
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These are not mere coincidences, according to some experts.
Kathleen Belew is a historian and a researcher of the white power movement. According to her, “these are not just one-off events. They are part of a rising wave of action.” She added, “That’s important not only to understand the meaning of these acts of violence but to connect them as part of a movement.”
Since Christchurch Massacre!
In June 2019, the Australian-born Brenton Tarrant denied guilt in killing the 51 Muslim worshippers in two mosques.
Still, the most striking aspect of this incidence is the country’s response to the tragedy and the embarrassment that was not only felt by the PM Jacinda Ardern but the society as a whole.
It was not just in words, but the government took a proactive role to ensure such incidences do not happen again.
New Zealand’s government promptly tightened the country’s gun laws in the face of the attack, and also reviewed the laws dealing with the hate speech.
For respectable nations, one incidence is significant to change the way they think. This swiftness is conspicuous by its absence in the third world countries, where turning a blind eye is the norm.
Usually, the trials in such cases begin within a year. But Cameron Mander, the judge, in this case, said the prolongation is caused by the “volume of evidence” due to which it will not take place until May 4, 2020.
The trial is likely to last for six weeks, or three months maximum.
