Members of the Muslim community in Christchurch, the site of the attacks, came together to bury the victims of what New Zealand’s prime minister called the “darkest day” in the country’s history.
The bodies of the father and son were carried by members of the Muslim community to the cemetery, a spokesman for the Syrian Solidarity New Zealand (SSNz) group told Anadolu Agency.
Khalid Mustafa, 45, and Hamza Mustafa, 15, both Syrian refugees, were buried in the Muslim section of Memorial Park Cemetery in the Christchurch suburbs.
Khalid’s younger son, Zaid, was badly injured in the attack but survived.
The father and son were among 42 worshippers shot dead inside the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch, among a total of 50 killed.
SSNz spokesman Ali Akil said that 13-year-old Zaid attended the funeral in a wheelchair.
"I shouldn't be standing in front of you. I should be lying beside you,” said a wailing Zaid Mustafa in front of his father's grave.
He underwent a six-hour operation for the injuries he sustained in the attack.
The Mustafa family fled Syria and arrived in New Zealand in 2018. Survivors of the last week's deadly attack also include Khalid’s wife and a 10-year-old daughter.
At least 50 Muslims were killed in cold blood and as many injured last Friday when a terrorist opened fire on worshipers during weekly prayers at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch, in a sign of rising Islamophobia worldwide.
Based on AA
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