Praise be to God and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of God,

We condemn the brutal massacre that targeted worshipers at the mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. We ask God to grant forgiveness to the victims and accept them as martyrs, to heal the wounded, and bring well-being to the families in the form of patience and fortitude. This terrorist act is an appalling and heinous crime perpetrated by people who have been stripped of the character and values of humanity.

While we stress our solidarity with the New Zealand Government and its Muslim citizens, we call on our Muslim brethren to be patient and tolerant in obedience to the Lord’s directives: “Twice will they be given their reward, for they are steadfast and repel evil with good, and spend of that wherewith We have provided them.” “Repel evil with that which is better. We are well acquainted with the things they say.” Patience has praiseworthy consequences. To Allah we belong and to Him we return.

Abdullah bin Bayyah

AbuDhabi , UAE

Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies