The Christchurch mosques where a gunman killed 50 people a week ago have reopened their doors under heightened security. Among those visiting were victims' relatives and a Jordanian prince.
Hundreds of people, including a Jordanian prince, survivors and relatives of the victims, visited the Al Noor mosque to lay flowers or pray as armed police stood guard.
Shagat Khan, the president of the Muslim Association of Canterbury, said they decided to reopen the building after the police cordon was removed, letting people enter in small groups "so the mosque will be alive again."
"Those who lost their families are of course quite emotional," he said. "And those who were present here during the incident, of course the memories come back. The flashbacks."
Among the first to enter the Al Noor mosque on Saturday was Vohra Mohammad Huzef, who said two of his roommates were killed.
"Everyone wants to get back in again to give praise and to catch up. This is the central point of our community."
Crews have spent the past week removing signs of the carnage — repairing windows, filling bullet holes with plaster and coating the walls in fresh paint.
Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, who traveled to New Zealand to pay his respects, called it "a moment of deep anguish for all of us, all of humanity."
The nation came to a standstill on Friday to mark one week since the massacre. A Muslim call to prayer was broadcast live on national television and followed by two minutes of silence for the dead. Women around the country also donned headscarves to show their support for the Muslim community.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has won praise from around the world for her leadership and compassion following the shootings. To thank her for her response, Dubai projected an image of her face onto its iconic Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper.
"Thank you PM @jacindaardern and New Zealand for your sincere empathy and support that has won the respect of 1.5 billion Muslims after the terrorist attack that shook the Muslim community around the world," Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum wrote on Twitter.
The terror attacks shocked New Zealand and prompted Ardern to move swiftly to toughen the country's gun laws. Australian citizen Brenton Tarrant has been charged over the shootings and is due to face court in April.
Christchurch grieves right-wing terror attack
New Zealand and the world reeled from a right-wing mosque massacre on Friday. The terror shooting left behind grievous scenes.
Image: Reuters/H. Nicholls
'There was blood everywhere'
A witness said "there was blood everywhere," after a right-wing terror attack on two New Zealand mosques killed 50 on Friday. Another witness saw a man in black enter the Al Noor mosque during prayers in Christchurch and heard dozens of shots before fleeing, adding that he saw several dead on the scene. As of Friday afternoon 48 people, including children, were being treated for gunshot wounds.
Image: Reuters/SNPA/M. Hunter
Twin attacks target two mosques
Police asked all mosques across New Zealand to close while they hunted those responsible for the twin attacks. Al Noor mosque (above) is approximately 7 kilometers across the city from Linwood Mosque, the site of the second shooting.
Image: Reuters/SNPA/M. Hunter
City on lockdown
Police initially arrested four people, two of them armed, and later charged one with murder. An Australian man, Brenton Tarrant, is alleged to have filmed himself carrying out the shooting and streamed it on social media. A manifesto was also published online, praising white men who had carried out similar massacres. It also called US President Donald Trump a "symbol of renewed white identity."
Image: Reuters
'Atmosphere of fear'
The attacker's stated aim was to "create an atmosphere of fear" and "incite violence" against Muslims. Police said they recovered several guns from the mosques and two explosive devices in two vehicles at the scene. While the suspects were unknown to police, they said the attack appeared to have been well planned. Police were not searching for other suspects, but were on alert
Image: Reuters
Narrow escape as shock spreads
The world reacted in shock. Anger spread in some countries and security was heightened at prayers at this mosque in Bangladesh as news was released that the Bangladeshi cricket team had narrowly escaped the shooting. The players had arrived at one of the mosques as the attack was unfolding when they heard gunshots.
Image: Reuters/M. Ponir Hossain
'One of New Zealand's darkest days'
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the attack as terrorism, calling it "one of New Zealand’s darkest days." "Many directly affected by this shooting may be migrants to New Zealand, they may even be refugees here...They are us. The person who has perpetuated this violence against us is not," she said.
Image: Getty Images/M. Tantrum
World in mourning
Friday sermons across the world were dominated by grief and prayers for the lives lost in the attack. Prayers at the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem (here) mourned the victims. Demonstrations in other major cities such as Sydney, Istanbul and London condemned global terror.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/F. Abu Rmeleh
Dismay at 'senseless violence'
Leaders across the world expressed solidarity with the victims and their families, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outside New Zealand House in London. Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed solidarity against "racist hatred," and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called it an "attack on all of us." Queen Elizabeth was "deeply saddened," while other leaders expressed their outrage at hate speech.
