Page 689 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 19 March 2019
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MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (10.31): On behalf of the ACT Greens, I rise to express my deepest sympathies and condolences to the people of Christchurch following the abhorrent and hateful attack on two mosques last Friday afternoon. My thoughts are with the victims and their families, friends and communities, as well as with the Christchurch community and all the people of New Zealand.
At this time I want to specifically send support to the Islamic community in Christchurch, as well as to our Muslim brothers and sisters here in Canberra and across the nation. In times of tragedy such as this, we stand with you. We reject hatred and violence in the strongest possible terms.
These barbaric attacks took place at the Al Noor mosque and the Linwood mosque, and the reports are that 50 people are known to have been killed, with dozens more hurt. Many remain in hospital with critical injuries. The ripple effects of this attack continue to spread right around the world as we all try to come to terms with the shock and grief that will be felt for days, weeks and years to come.
Today this Assembly comes together to recognise our common humanity, to strongly condemn violence, Islamophobia and hatred, and to recognise the beauty and strength that comes from a diverse and multicultural society. There is nothing we can say today to take away the pain and grief the victims’ families and friends are feeling. Yet it is still important that in times like these we stand in solidarity, that we do not fall silent but, rather, use our voice and our influence to oppose such bigotry, violence and hatred. While we may feel powerless at a time like this, speaking out and showing support is something all members of our community can do, and it is an obligation that falls particularly on politicians and community leaders who have a platform to speak from.
It is also heartening to see the strength of the response from leaders in our local community. The clear and unequivocal message from the people of Canberra and of Australia is that those who spread hatred and division do not represent us and do not speak for us. We are a welcoming, tolerant, accepting and generous community, and we believe our diversity is a source of strength, not division.
I do not wish to speak today about the man who committed these attacks or about those who seek to use it to promote an agenda of fear. However, it is important that we are clear about what has happened. These attacks were an act of terrorism committed by a far-right extremist. Terrorism is not the product of any one religion, ethnicity or group. Terrorism is an ideology of fear that is designed to tear us apart, but it will not succeed. We will not allow the politics of hate to trump our humanity.
In the wake of these tragic events it is important to take a moment and think about the victims, their stories and the lives they lived. Yesterday’s Sydney Morning Herald provided a beautiful tribute. The article said:
From cheerful toddlers and teenage footballers to distinguished professionals in their twilight years, every one of those killed in the Christchurch mosque massacres was living a life cut cruelly short.
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