Some things I wanted to say regarding the terrorist attacks in Christchurch

Yesterday, I was at work when I received a message from my sister about a terrorist attack in New Zealand. I hadn’t yet heard the news, so I went on twitter, which seems to sadly be the most reliable source of news these days, and was hit with the cold hard truth. Another white man had gone on a rampage, killing innocent human beings and permanently tearing apart the lives of the victims, their families and friends, and a country that has some of the most beautiful, peaceful people in it.

My first reaction was denial. Sure, Aussies and Kiwis love to give each other a good ribbing, but to me, NZ is our neighbour and has always felt like our super chilled out sibling. I have always felt proud of NZ and their achievements and have always thought of Australia and NZ as a pair. So to see something so horrific, happen in a country that I love as much as I love my own country, had me hoping that the news wasn’t true. That the people reporting it were wrong, and that everything was alright.

That little bubble popped when I scrolled through twitter and saw something that initially looked like a video game. The second I realised what it was I scrolled away from it, sick to my stomach that a monster had livestreamed his attack to the world.

The anger and sadness I feel, is like a heavy, black cloak. It is weighing me down, to the point where it hurts to breathe, to think, to function. I have shed a thousand tears for the beautiful souls who were taken away so violently, and for the families who will never again get the opportunity to laugh, love and celebrate them. But my tears don’t do anything to help. They don’t bring these people back, or allow time to rewind to a point where the terrorist is stopped before he rips lives apart. My anger only fuels hatred, which is giving people like him a victory, because that is what he and his accomplices want.

Muslim men, women and children, who were doing nothing to hurt anyone, that had gone to their place of worship which is supposed to be a safe space and a place of peace, had their sanctuary violated and their lives ripped apart at the seams, by someone who is the very definition of evil. The victims are now martyrs. The stories of their bravery, sacrifice and overall goodness, are how they will be remembered – and it gives me a small amount of hope that the terrorists will hear these stories and realise that all they did was turn the victims into heroes, and themselves (the terrorists) into cowards.

The shooter was Australian. And the most shocking thing about this, is that it isn’t shocking at all. Australia is an incredibly racist country. From a glance, people may think that Aussies are laid back, keen for a laugh and joke, and seem like team players. And yeah, this might be true, but only if you assimilate. Only if you are white. Only if you are straight. Only if you aren’t an immigrant, a person of colour, speak a different language, follow a non-Western religion, or are just in any way ‘different’. Australian politicians and media continue to play a massive role in this mindset, by fear-mongering, discriminating and colluding with white supremacists and allowing them to have a platform.

These terrorists have been empowered by the politicians and media. They have been made to feel that their hatred is justified and that they are right, and everyone else is wrong. And while these assholes weren’t thinking of anyone else but themselves when they planned and carried out this attack, they undoubtedly thought that they were doing the world a favour. While people like Donald Trump, Fuckhead Anning and Pauline Hanson are given the microphone, the world is in an incredible amount of danger from white supremacists.

Moving forward, there is no room for complacency. White people cannot continue to stand by and watch as others are mistreated. We need to stop leaving it to people of colour and minorities to call people out when they are saying/doing the wrong thing. We need to do this in a way where we aren’t talking over them, or being “white saviours”. We need to step the fuck up, and stop allowing our friends and family to make jokes and remarks at the expense of others, because by not saying anything, we are allowing white supremacy to thrive.

To the Muslim community, I stand with you. I am heartbroken for you and am here to support you in any way I possibly can. I wish nothing but love and light for you and yours, especially now and in the coming days, when it may feel like your world is smothered in darkness. There is good in the world, and there are people, like myself, who love you and support you. You are not alone.

Steff xx