Prince William has met with worshippers at Christchurch’s Al Noor mosque and delivered a speech calling for an end to intolerance, one month after an Australian terrorist targeted the mosque in an attack which killed 50 people.
“He thought he could redefine what this space was,” Prince William said.
“I’m here to help you show the world that he failed.”
[jwplayer MhJMkoWm-IxfdLzLk]
The royal spoke of the resiliency of the community, saying their reaction to the crisis demonstrated immense strength.
“But New Zealanders had other plans,” he said.
“The people of Al Noor and Linwood mosques had different plans. You stood up, and you stood together. And in reaction to tragedy, you achieved something remarkable.”
The Duke of Cambridge said his own personal experiences of grief were learning experiences, and that their pain “can reveal depths you did not know you had.
“The startling weight of grief can burst any bubble of complacency in how you live your life, and help you live up to the values you espouse.”
The Duke of Cambridge is visiting Al Noor Mosque to meet Imam Gamal Fouda and Muslim community families impacted by the Christchurch mosques terrorist attack in New Zealand. pic.twitter.com/dHhSfvu74z
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) April 25, 2019
Earlier, Prince William dropped in for a surprise visit with a five-year-old victim of the terror attack who is still recovering in hospital.
Footage taken yesterday at Auckland’s Starship Hospital shows the British royal meeting Alen Alsati, who sustained serious injuries during the shooting and only recently woke from a coma.
“Do you have a daughter?” the girl asked, prompting Prince William to tell her about his own family.
“Yes, I do. Her name is Charlotte. She’s about the same age as you,” he said.
https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1121312894354907138
During his trip to New Zealand, Prince William has met with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and several of the first responders who attended to the scenes of the attacks.
“You did an incredible job on a very bad day,” he told a group of paramedics.
You can view the full speech here.
