Today, many people are still trying to come to terms with the horror of the shocking murderous attack on worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch on Friday. The pain that something this terrible could happen, but to know the chief assailant was an Australian person makes it more shocking, because it feels like a personal hurt.
I have been thinking I shouldn’t neglect my blogging, but it doesn’t feel right just now to post something that would seem ‘fluffy’, and when there are important things to think and write about.
I feel for the loved ones of all of the innocent people who died, and for the people of Christchurch as they are trying to better understand how such an awful thing could happen to them. Forty-nine people dead, one (Australian) person arrested, two others taken in by the police too. What is happening in our world, that things could come to this?
I am not a Christian person, nor a Muslim, I profess to no religion, but would say I was an Atheist, if asked. This does not mean I hate people who believe in a divine being, at all, people can believe in anything they want to, as long as nobody gets hurt.
And that, of course is what happened yesterday, a man who had toxic beliefs against Muslim people murdered them as they were worshipping, innocent people, who did nothing to deserve this. And the community of Christchurch and the rest of New Zealand certainly didn’t deserve this either.
I am incredibly impressed at the intelligent and caring way the Prime Minister of New Zealand has stepped up to bring people together in this time. Other leaders have spoken out about this too, and many of us are thinking more about our thoughts about this, our own possibly racist thoughts and ideas, whether we can help in any way.
In reality, simply thinking more about the implications of this, and trying to find other people in the future, these could lead to good things for us all. On person who touched me in particular was Waleed Aly, a person of the Muslim faith. He is an Australian writer, academic, lawyer, media presenter and musician, and does some serious thinking about life and the big questions there are that we can all be affected by.
He said he will continue to go to his own place of worship, as he does every Friday. I wish him and those he loves well, and am so glad there are intelligent people out there who can speak intelligently about these things.
When I think about big ideas, I like to have as many opinions about them as I can, so I can find the ones who most see to the core of issues. Waleed Aly is definitely one of those people for me. I sometimes listen to him speak on the ABC Radio National when he and another philosopher talk, or see him on The Project on TV. Having these people to see and listen to adds to my understanding.
If you have any media people whose opinions you value, I’d love to hear more about them – feel free to leave a comment and I can check them out, as others can, who come here too.
Carolyn Cordon - Creative 