It was a typical Jum’ah for Muslims of Christchurch, New Zealand. Everyone had further plans of what next to do during the day. People were still dreaming of what would happen further on in life. But Allah had destined for them that in the holiest day of the week, during one of the most sacred hours, and in the most sacred of places they would die the most honorable death. A death which Islam in fact considers living on in a more honorable state, as Allah says:
وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا ۚ بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ
And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision.
Leading Up To The Atrocious Event…
An Australian terrorist, who does not deserve to be named, had long been planning this atrocity prior to it’s occurrence. The terrorist travelled the world and observed and contemplated on what he termed as grievances from events that occurred throughout European history. He cites a number of grievances in his 87 page manifesto written prior to the attack. He cited his main concern being the higher birth rates of Muslim immigrants. He also references the history of Muslim expansion across the world as well and his desire to avenge the civilizations supposedly overrun by the spread of Islam, particularly “White” civilization. He writes with a sense of urgency “the need to act” before the invaders (referring to Muslim immigrants) outnumber us due to their higher birth rates. The end goal of this terror attack would be to stir a global conflict between both right-wing and left-wing groups throughout the west, as well as between White Christian Europe and Muslim Turkey, eventually leading to a resurgence of “White” civilization. New Zealand was specifically chosen for this atrocity because of its well-known peaceful atmosphere, to send a chilling message to Muslim minorities throughout the West, that in fact nowhere, not even peaceful countries like New Zealand are safe for us. Before examining each of his above grievances, we will briefly discuss the horrific incident.
March 15, 2019
At around 1:40 PM on the day of Friday, the man was seen beginning a live-stream from his car. Written on his gun were a series of anti-Muslim slogans in reference to historical events. In first person view, the video shows him walking toward Al-Nur Masjid, gun pointing forward like that of a first-person shooter game. The door of the Masjid is wide open. An elderly man by the name Haji Daoud Nabi, came out the door and is clearly heard saying “Hello brother.” Without any hesitation, the terrorist killed his first victim. He then entered the Masjid while the sermon was being delivered to further engage in the wretched act. For the next ten minutes, a bloodbath ensued. In the live streamed video, worshippers are seen fleeing from indiscriminate gunfire. By the time the ruthless savage had finished his desire of killing in this location, 42 were dead. The eldest victim was 70, and the youngest was a 3 year old child.
He is then seen leaving to his car to go for a second location. While seen speeding through the highway, the live streaming ends. He then reaches his second location, Linwood Islamic Centre. Unable to find the main entrance, he began firing through the windows, alerting those inside. A brave man, by the name of Abdulaziz Wahabzadeh, confronted the man with nothing else but a card reader he found inside. The terrorist, out of cowardice, avoided Abdulaziz, and continued firing at worshipers inside. Abdulaziz would continue to try drawing attention toward himself and away from the worshipers. Shortly after murdering 7 more worshipers, the terrorist then jumped into his car and drove away to find a third location. But he was eventually stopped after the police had rammed his car into a kerb, in a nearby suburb. The terror attack which lasted approximately 20 minutes was finally over. By this time, news of the attack was known worldwide. Muslims in North America would awake the next day for Jum’ah, terrified by the atrocious terror attack. Across the globe this horrific incident would become the main topic of khutbahs and would continue to be discussed, weeks and months moving onwards. Let us not forget we are told in the Quran:
قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَانَا ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
Say, “Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector.” And upon Allah let the believers rely.
Now Analyzing the Grievances Behind the Attack
From the list of reasons, the main reasons repeatedly cited by the attacker was that of:
- Higher birth rates of Muslims in Western nations that that of their European counterparts.
- Islamic expansion into Europe and other continents throughout its history.
Looking at the first grievance, it can be quite ironic that little criticism is given to the systems which in fact lead to lower birth rates within societies. The fact that modernity has desanctified the family and marriage has not been given any such criticism. The fact that feminism, seeking to make women completely independent of men and more subservient to the state and corporations over that of their husbands and families has continued for decades, is also ignored when discussing lower birth rates among Europeans. The loss of modesty and the increase in promiscuity, casual sex and casual relationships also seem to play no part in lowering birth rates among Europeans. And while practicing Muslims avoid the above, they are at fault simply for making a life choice of having bigger families, and refusing to engage in the dominant promiscuous culture. The terrorist, in his manifesto refers to the decisions of Muslims having bigger families as “genocide” against the white race. Truth be told, to this day, whites enjoy the fruits of their forefathers, when the entire world is absolutely subservient to the whims of White superpowers such as the USA, UK, France, and Russia. The power and influence of the majority “White” superpowers are yet to cease any time in the near future. Yet these White Supremacists believe that the White race faces an existential crisis.
The second grievance will completely ignore the nature of the world we lived in for most of time. It was not until the formation of the United Nations that annexation of territory of one country to another became outlawed. Prior to that time, Empires would continue fighting one another over territory. For much of Europe’s history, it’s major empires, The British, Spanish, French, and German empires, would in fact fight one another. The second World War was one of the greatest manifestations of the above mentioned fact, as much of Hitlers victims during the Holocaust were other Europeans, who he saw as a “inferior races” to that of his “superior Aryan race”, thus worthy of genocide. When Islam had spread, race, language, ethnicity, all became insignificant after uniting people under belief in one God, his final Messenger, and the everlasting abode awaiting us in the hereafter. It needs to be remembered that Islam and Muslims are not a race. The Ummah includes people of all races who ascribe to these beliefs. What made Islam appeal to people far and wide was the fact that it taught that the peasant and the affluent, the fair skinned and the dark skinned, the different ethnicities, are all equal in the eyes of God. Thus, the endless strife which would go on due to tribal and ethnic differences need no longer continue as people can unite under a common belief. Therefore, to say that Islam had destroyed the civilizations that it had spread to would be incorrect, as it had done the exact opposite. It in fact became the one and only uniting factor among people who would not cease in fighting one another due to their differences. Wherever Islam had spread, the people became equal solely upon accepting the same beliefs. The same cannot be said about settler colonial European societies. In fact, history has documented that Christianity was used to subjugate the conquered people. Adopting the same religious beliefs would not guarantee equal rights to those who were conquered.
Where Do We Go From Here?
We now live in an atmosphere of ever-growing panic and fear of what will come due to the rise of Far-Right, and fascist groups. So where exactly do we go from here? Is it by allying with the left wing and supporting their causes? Or will it be by allying with Right-wing political parties and conceding that Islam needs to be “reformed” for the modern world? As far as allying with the Left, this has been the preferred solution for more than a decade. Muslim activists have not only advocated voting for the Left, they have urged the community to also advocate for many of the very same causes that the Left promotes, thinking it will be for the greater benefit for the Muslim community. Has it truly yielded any benefit to the Muslim community? Has it done anything to reduce Islamophobia? Quite to the contrary, with Muslims being increasingly affiliated with the Left and its causes, we have only seen an increase in Islamophobia. Even worse, the younger generation have been left confused due to the contradictions between what Leftism promotes and what Islam prohibited.
Let us not forget that all safety is in fact in the hands of Allah. Never did the Muslims compromise the Deen for worldly benefit except that it resulted in further humiliation. The only solution is to use the means around us only to the degree that we do not contradict Islam. Being citizens of countries like USA, Canada, UK, Australia, we’re affected by the policies which are passed therefore it would make sense for us to have a level of political involvement. But at the same time, it should not happen at the cost of abandoning or betraying core tenants of our faith, which unfortunately many Muslims are doing.
Muslims should also take the necessary precautions to defend themselves. Perpetrators will often prey on what they see as soft and easy targets. Therefore, more Muslims should seek training in the use of firearms, in preparation for worst case scenario. American Muslims should most definitely exercise their second amendment. There should be no feeling of guilt or shame in doing so. And while taking all necessary precautions, we should have reliance on Allah above all, as all safety is in his control.
Most importantly, the work of Da’wah needs to continue with ever greater devotion. That is the only counter to the hatred which exists commonly among groups antagonistic to Islam such as Fascists, and the Far-Right groups. It should be understood that the hatred that exists is only a symptom of a greater problem. In the modern Secular world where material success is portrayed as the be all end all, people are utterly confused as to what really is the true purpose of life. People have been left without a meaningful purpose beyond that of material success. As a result, some individuals have resorted to ideologies such as White Supremacy, and Fascism like that of the Christchurch terrorist. Such groups should be engaged academically. It is our religious duty to carry on the work of Da’wah to all groups of people regardless. Even towards Fascists and White Supremacists.
What if it comes to a point where it’s a crime to practice the basic aspects of Islam? Should we just outwardly reform Islam to try and please the disbelievers? The answer is NO. In fact, Muslims around the world have already attempted to do so, and it only resulted in further humiliation. A clear example is that of the Arab nations which adopted secular socialist ideals. Once the practice of Islam, and Islamic ideals were abandoned, we would continue to witness turmoil and civil strife till this day. If our situation ever gets to the point that Muslims are no longer allowed to outwardly practice their Deen, then the only option which would make sense would be to make Hijrah to that place where one can easily practice the Deen.
May Allah keep us steadfast and firm during these difficult times.
وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers!
Sheikh Mohammed Mamun serves as a Khatib within the South Atlanta area, and delivers lectures across Masajid in the United States. He is currently studying Psychology and Computer Information Systems at Georgia State University and conducts online classes for Lubab Academy’s Arabic Language program.