Bloodshed, terrorism and fear were what some of them had left behind, fleeing countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia. Walking between the mosques and the hospital revealed countless examples of tears and outrage. There was confusion, but also the kind of love you see in hugs that hold tight and bring tears without concern for who is looking. “God is testing us — testing the families and us, and we’re here to help.”Islam first arrived in Christchurch in 1854, with a family from India, local history says. In Christchurch, their ranks include students at local universities, taxi drivers, professionals, nurses — and imams like Lateef Alabi.

Source: New York Times March 16, 2019 15:12 UTC