A special prayer service was held at Masjid Al-Nur in Christchurch this morning, to mark two years since the Christchurch terror attack.
Members of the public and Muslims gather for a memorial plaque unveiling last September. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Remembrance services are being held in the city today.
About 50 people attended the dua service, also known as a prayer service, which was held by the Muslim Association of Canterbury.
The dua - or prayer - was read out by imam Gamal Fouda, who prayed for those who lost their lives in the massacre.
He said the attack had ultimately failed and the terror attack did not succeed in breaking the country.
Spokesperson Abdigani Ali earlier said invited guests from different religions would be in attendance.
He said this particular service would be held at the mosque instead of the cemetery at the request of victims' families.
"It's an opportunity for us as Muslims to reflect on our own life and also contemplate on the certainty that there is a life after death," he said.
A public remembrance service is being held at the Christchurch Arena at 3pm today.
The 'Ko Tātou Tātou We Are One' event at the Christchurch Arena is intended as a way for all New Zealanders to show solidarity with those affected.
Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel said the warmth felt by non-Muslims towards the Islamic community was still very strong.
She said the huge gathering for Friday prayers in Hagley Park a week after the shootings were a clear signal to Muslims that the wider community had their backs.
The organisers of a football tournament intended to mark the second anniversary of the mosque shootings are disappointed it had to be postponed because of Covid-19 crowd restrictions.
Involving 16 teams from around the country, it was supposed to take place last weekend, but will now be held in October.
One of the organisers, Azam Ali, who witnessed the attack on the Linwood Mosque, said it was the second time they've had to postpone, as last year's lockdown also put a spanner in the works.
All money raised in October will be donated to the St John ambulance service.