By Ewen McRae
The Brimbank community pulled together in mourning last weekend as the victims of the Christchurch terrorist attack were remembered.
Fifty people were killed when a gunman stormed two mosques in the New Zealand city on March 15. Deer Park’s Bosnian Islamic Centre secretary Sacir Lacevic said the shock was instantly felt close to home.
“The first reaction was pure sadness, I think we all felt that,” Mr Lacevic said.
“We didn’t really know what to expect next, and then there was all the emotions from the local community. It began with words of being welcome in the country and comforting words like that, and that was followed by flowers and written messages, so it was very comforting.
“We’ve had a number of vigils and prayers since the attack and all I can say is that I am proud to be Muslim, after everything that has happened we are hoping that something big has changed.”
Just two days after the attack, the Australia-wide Mosque Open Day took place, and more than 600 people flooded through the door’s of the Deer Park Mosque.
Brimbank councillors were among those attending the open day, which included a shared meal and releasing 50 white balloons in remembrance of the victims of the attacks.
“We knew that what had happened on the Friday would change things, but we didn’t know which way it would change things,” Mr Lacevic said.
“But we had people arriving well before the start time, and staying until after we had officially finished. It was absolutely amazing for people to come and comfort us, and for us to show ourselves to the wider community.
“A lot of people told us they’d been thinking of coming to these open days for years, but the events in Christchurch really pushed them across.
“We came away with the feeling that out of the evil that happened in Christchurch, some good can come out.”
