Prince Hassan visits wounded Jordanians in Christchurch as victims laid to rest

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, HRH Prince Hassan on Saturday visited Jordanian victims wounded in the New Zealand terrorist attack, conveying His Majesty King Abdullah’s wishes of speedy recovery.

A day earlier, four Jordanians killed in the terror attack on worshippers in two mosques were laid to rest in Christchurch city after Friday's prayer, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Hours after the burial, the grief-stricken mother of a Jordanian shot dead in the attack passed away, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

The diplomatic team, tasked with following up on the massacre’s victims and offering support to their families, has extended its condolences over her death, expressing the government's readiness to cover the expense of transferring her body to the Kingdom.

The victims — wrapped in the Jordanian flag — were laid to rest in New Zealand’s biggest public funeral with a wide participation from the Jordanian community and in the presence of the Foreign Ministry’s team to New Zealand, the Ministry’s operations centre director, Sufian Qudah, said in the statement.

During the funeral, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern expressed New Zealand’s deep sorrow and solidarity with the victims’ families as well as the Muslim community in her country. 

During his visit to Christchurch, on the heels of the massacre that claimed the lives of dozens of people, Prince Hassan also visited a Syrian child who was injured during the attack and lost his father and brother, and had previously lived in the Kingdom for several years, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

At the end of his visit to Christchurch Hospital, where the wounded Jordanians are receiving medical treatment, the prince met with Jordanians who were gathered in front of the hospital.

Following up on the wounded conditions, the ministry’s team underscored that the conditions of the injured Jordanians are improving by the day, according to the statement.

‘Emotional prayers’

Prince Hassan also visited the victims’ houses of condolences and offered the King’s sympathies to their families.

Accompanied by HRH Princess Rahma and Foreign Ministry Secretary General Zaid Lozi, the prince also visited Al Noor and the Linwood mosques where the massacres took place, and laid wreaths while meeting with members of New Zealand’s Muslim community.

Muslims held emotional prayers inside Christchurch’s Al Noor Mosque on Saturday for the first time since the attack, AFP reported.

In remarks after his visit to Al Noor Mosque, Prince Hassan said he valued New Zealand’s humanitarian efforts and expressed Jordan’s solidarity with New Zealand in such hard times.

“We stand together in our commitment to peace in this beautiful country of New Zealand, which has so much to teach us in terms of solidarity, love and compassion. I cannot tell you all how close I feel to you all in this time,” he said during a speech reported by New Zealand’s Stuff news website.

The prince also met with Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel and offered his condolences over the victims of the terrorist attack.  

On Friday, Prince Hassan met with New Zealand Governor-General Patsy Reddy and expressed Jordan’s condemnation of such terror attacks, stressing the importance of combating terrorism and promoting the values of fraternity and coexistence.

Reddy voiced her country’s appreciation for Jordan’s role in working towards security and peace worldwide and welcomed Prince Hassan’s visit during these hard times.

Prince Hassan and the accompanying delegation also observed two minutes of silence to commemorate the lives lost in the attack.

The diplomatic team also visited the victims’ houses of condolences and offered sympathies to the families, the statement added.