Christchurch hero makes an emotional return to mosque

The two heroes of the Christchurch mosque massacre have made an emotional return to the scene of the bloodshed, standing side by side at Linwood mosque with a hundred supporters for a Maori cleansing and blessing of the land.

Linwood mosque Imam Abdul Lateef Zirullah, better known as Brother Lateef, and Eftpos machine hero Abdul Aziz, from Australia, appeared together at the second mosque where their heroics saved many lives on Friday.

A police officer was seen laying a comforting hand on Lateef's back as they joined together for the ceremony - just metres away from a mountain of flowers and on a street where strangers have spent the weekend spontaneously hugging Muslims.  

A picture of Mr Lateef soaked in blood has become one of the defining images of the tragedy, which has been hailed as New Zealand’s ‘darkest day’.

 Mr Lateef was the first to spot gunman Brenton Harrison Tarrant and raise the alarm outside the second mosque on Friday afternoon.

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Brother Abdul Lateef Zirullah (left) and Abdul Aziz (right), the two surviving heroes of the mass shooting at Linwood mosque attack, have made an emotional return to the scene three days on

Brother Abdul Lateef Zirullah (left) and Abdul Aziz (right), the two surviving heroes of the mass shooting at Linwood mosque attack, have made an emotional return to the scene three days on

Brother Lateef broke down in tears during a traditional Maori ceremony at the mosque. He was the first person to spot accused gunman Brenton Harrison Tarrant out the window and warned worshippers inside, saving countless lives

Brother Lateef broke down in tears during a traditional Maori ceremony at the mosque. He was the first person to spot accused gunman Brenton Harrison Tarrant out the window and warned worshippers inside, saving countless lives

During Monday's ceremony a policeman placed a comforting hand on the back of Mr Lateef as he broke down in tears

During Monday's ceremony a policeman placed a comforting hand on the back of Mr Lateef as he broke down in tears

'From the window, I sighted him (and) I thought maybe he was a policeman,' Mr Lateef told Daily Mail Australia. 

'But then when I saw on the floor next to him was another (dead) lady, I said "no".' 

Mr Lateef could hear the killer's muffled, but clearly offensive, yelling, through the window.

'I can't hear him very well clearly inside but I know he was saying something, like using this vulgar word,' he said.

'I realised he is amiss and something must be done. Initially people didn't understand but eventually people got to know what happened.'

After being alerted to the gunman by Mr Lateef, Mr Aziz picked up the first thing he could find - an Eftpos machine - and ran to confront the attacker.

When he got outside Tarrant had returned to his car to swap guns. 

Mr Lateef told Daily Mail Australia that he saw Brenton Harrison Tarrant (pictured) out the window of the mosque and initially thought he was a policeman, before noticing a dead body on the ground nearby

Mr Lateef told Daily Mail Australia that he saw Brenton Harrison Tarrant (pictured) out the window of the mosque and initially thought he was a policeman, before noticing a dead body on the ground nearby

Moments after the gunman fled the scene Mr Lateef was photographed on the street wearing a bloodstained garment

Moments after the gunman fled the scene Mr Lateef was photographed on the street wearing a bloodstained garment

An emotional Mr Lateef was comforted by dozens of mourners during the traditional cleansing ceremony

An emotional Mr Lateef was comforted by dozens of mourners during the traditional cleansing ceremony

Mr Lateef told how after he warned worshippers, Abdul Aziz (right) grabbed an Eftpos machine and ran outside to chase the accused gunman

Mr Lateef told how after he warned worshippers, Abdul Aziz (right) grabbed an Eftpos machine and ran outside to chase the accused gunman

When Tarrant returned to his car to get another gun Mr Aziz chased after him and hurled the gun at the car, shattering the windscreen and scaring him away

When Tarrant returned to his car to get another gun Mr Aziz chased after him and hurled the gun at the car, shattering the windscreen and scaring him away

Mr Aziz (right) said he could hear his two young sons inside the mosque urging him to come back inside and away from danger

Mr Aziz (right) said he could hear his two young sons inside the mosque urging him to come back inside and away from danger

'From the window, I sighted him... I thought he was a policeman,' Brother Lateef said. He then noticed dead bodies outside the mosque and yelled out to the worshippers at Friday prayers

'From the window, I sighted him... I thought he was a policeman,' Brother Lateef said. He then noticed dead bodies outside the mosque and yelled out to the worshippers at Friday prayers 

Mr Aziz then saw a discarded weapon on the ground and picked it up, before aiming at Tarrant and squeezed hard on the trigger - but it was empty.

'He got into his car and I just got the gun and threw it on his window like an arrow and blasted his window... that's why he got scared,' Mr Aziz said. 

Inside the mosque Mr Aziz said he could hear his two young sons, aged 11 and five, calling for him to come back inside.

Mr Lateef said he had seen the iconic photograph of his robe covered in blood just moments after the massacre.

'I was trying to rescue some brothers,' he said.

'I was thinking I could do something to save their lives, but, unfortunately, some of them, most of them had passed.'

Maori leader performs the traditional cleansing ceremony at the Linwood Mosque on Monday

Maori leader performs the traditional cleansing ceremony at the Linwood Mosque on Monday

The ceremony, known as a karakia, is regularly held after tragic deaths and is similar to rituals performed by indigenous Australians

The ceremony, known as a karakia, is regularly held after tragic deaths and is similar to rituals performed by indigenous Australians

Nearly three days since the horrific terror attack in Christchurch which left 50 worshippers dead, new details about the innocent victims are emerging

Nearly three days since the horrific terror attack in Christchurch which left 50 worshippers dead, new details about the innocent victims are emerging

VICTIMS OF THE NEW ZEALAND MOSQUE MASSACRES 

As of 2am AEDT Monday 

 Mucad Ibrahim, 3

Abdullahi Dirie, 4 

Sayyad Milne, 14

Khaled Mustafa, 45, and son Hamza, 16

Naeem Rashid and his son Talha, 21

Tariq Omar, 24 

Ozair Kadir, 24

Syed Areeb Ahmed, 26 

Ansi Alibava, 25

Ramiz Vora, 28 

Farhaj Ahsan, 30 

Mojammel Hoq, 30 

Atta Elayyan, 33

Hussein Al-Umari, 36 

Mohammed Omar Faruk, 36 

Junaid Ismail, 36 

 Osama Adnan Abu Kwik, 37 

Zeehan Raza, 38

Kamel Darwish, 39 

Dr Haroon Mahmood, 40

Husne Ara Parvin, 42

Syed Jahandad Ali, 43 

Mohammad Imran Kahn, 47 

Mathullah Safi, 55 

 Amjad Hamid, 57

Lilik Abdul Hamid, 58

 Arifbhai Mohamedali Vora, 58 

Ghulam Hussain, in his 60s

Karam Bibi, in her 60s 

Musa Vali Suleman Patel, 60 

Abdelfattah Qasem, 60 

Ashraf Ali, 61 

Mohsin Al-Harbi, 63 

Linda Armstrong, 65 

Maheboob Khokhar, 65 

Muhammed Abdusi Samad, 66 

Ali Elmadani, 66 

Mounir Soliman, 68 

Ahmad Gamaluddin Abdel Ghani, 68  

Hussein Moustafa, 70 

Abdukadir Elmi, 70 

Haji-Daoud Nabi, 71 

Still Missing:

Zakaria Bhuiyan 

 

 

Mr Lateef said he was 'very pleased' with a Maori cleansing of the land and blessing, which was held at the mosque on Monday morning.

The ceremony, known as a karakia, is regularly held after tragic deaths and was organised by the staff of New Zealand deputy police commissioner Wallace Haumaha.

Mr Haumaha said the process was much like an indigenous Australian cultural ritual. 

'It's important to have that cleansing,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'We use it ... to ensure we have cleansed all the evilness - not so much evilness, but everything left behind by those deaths, to allow the living to move on.'  

It came after a Maori gang earlier performed a touching haka during a memorial at the Al Noor mosque on the other side of Christchurch.

Around ten members of Black Power, which was first formed in 1970, gathered near the police cordon at the mosque to perform the ceremonial dance on Sunday.

The death toll from the terror attack has risen to 50, with new details about the innocent victims continuing to emerge. 

They include, Junaid Ismail, 36, who left behind a wife, three young children and a mother who relied on him to care for her.

Another, Ansi Alibava, 25, was eagerly awaiting her graduation ceremony from her masters degree in May, while Hussein Al-Umari, 36, was a regular at the Masjid Al Noor mosque. 

Ozair Kadir (pictured), 24, was a student pilot at the International Aviation Academy of New Zealand and had been in Christchurch for just a year when he was killed on Friday

Ozair Kadir (pictured), 24, was a student pilot at the International Aviation Academy of New Zealand and had been in Christchurch for just a year when he was killed on Friday

Syed Jahandad Ali, 43, from Pakistan was one of the 50 victims killed in the terror attack in Christchurch on Friday

Syed Jahandad Ali, 43, from Pakistan was one of the 50 victims killed in the terror attack in Christchurch on Friday

Maheboob Allarakha Khokhar

Husna Ara Parvin

Maheboob Allarakha Khokhar (left), 65, who was due to return to India on Sunday after visiting his son in Christchurch and Husna Ara Parvin (right), who was reportedly gunned down as she tried to save her quadriplegic husband from the shooter

Ashraf Ali (pictured) a respected imam at the Masjid Al Noor mosque who was originally from Fiji, is also thought to be among the dead

Ashraf Ali (pictured) a respected imam at the Masjid Al Noor mosque who was originally from Fiji, is also thought to be among the dead

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