Prince William has visited a mosque in Christchurch where 42 people were killed in March’s shootings. The Duke of Cambridge also visited survivors of the terror attack including a five-year-old girl.
On Friday, The Duke of Cambridge visited the Al Noor Mosque to meet Imam Gamal Fouda and Muslim community families impacted by the Christchurch mosques terrorist attack in New Zealand.
Giving a speech at the mosque on day two of his tour of the country, he called the attacks at two mosques in the city an “unspeakable act of hate”.
“Terrorist attempted to sow division and hatred in a place that stands for togetherness and selflessness,” he said.
“In a moment of acute pain, you stood up and you stood together. In reaction to tragedy you achieved something remarkable,” he added, praising the people of New Zealand for coming together during the tragic time.
Footage posted by Kensington Palace showed the Duke swamped by people at the mosque, and chatting animatedly.
Earlier in the day, he met with survivors of the shootings, including a young survivor currently in hospital in Auckland.
Five-year-old Alen Alsati sustained numerous critical injuries in the Christchurch shootings in which 50 people were killed. Alsati cannot see, walk, or move properly. She also suffered brain damage, her doctors said, and it is not yet known if it will be permanent.
Alen woke from a coma earlier this week.
https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1121312894354907138
In Christchurch, Prince William met with emergency responders, telling them, “you did an incredible job on a very bad day.”
Prince William said he showed keen insight and compassion regarding their work, because of his work as a rescue helicopter pilot. “You did an incredible job on a very bad day,” William told ambulance workers.
The Duke was joined on his visits by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
