Members of the New Zealand and UAE Special Olympics teams stand together at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Wam

New Zealand and UAE Special Olympics team visit Abu Dhabi mosque after terror attack

Around 40 members of the New Zealand team and their families stood hand in hand with 20 UAE counterparts at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque to share a moment of silent reflection about the tragedy

March 17, 2019

At 5am on Friday, Alan Robson lay awake in his Abu Dhabi hotel room. The head of the New Zealand Special Olympics team delegation listened in horror to a radio station in his native Christchurch, which was relaying early reports of a shooting at local mosques.

Within a few hours, it became clear that a white nationalist had entered two holy buildings during prayers and gunned down dozens of innocent worshippers.

In a rambling ‘manifesto’, which would also soon emerge, Brenton Tarrant, the Australian charged with murder, claimed he wanted his attack to fuel division between members of different races and religions.

Less than 48 hours later, at another mosque some 14,000km away, both New Zealanders and Emiratis united in an effort to prove he would not succeed.

Around 40 members of the New Zealand team and their families stood hand in hand with 20 UAE counterparts in the imposing courtyard of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque on Saturday, sharing a moment of silent reflection about the tragedy.

It was a show of solidarity with the survivors of the shootings and loved ones of the dead, but also an act of defiance, rejecting the hate and division which the attacker had sought to provoke.

“To be invited there, and be together hand in hand with local members of the UAE community, I think it sent a very strong message,” Mr Robson said. “It was a special moment of remembrance for what happened in Christchurch and felt very significant for all of us, very emotional.

“Our athletes were holding hands with the UAE athletes and I think everybody understood the tragic nature what had unfolded.”

A silent period of contemplation followed speeches in the courtyard from senior figures, including Tim Shriver, Special Olympics chairman, nephew of John F Kennedy and son of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Games founder.

He expressed condolences to New Zealanders and “brothers and sisters from the UAE who represent the beautiful faith of Islam.”

Earlier that day, a minutes’ silence was held across all Special Olympics venues. Competitors sent messages of support to the New Zealand team with the Pakistan swimming team among several to insist on a photo with their Kiwi counterparts, in a show of unity.

The support offered a boost to the morale of the New Zealanders, after Friday morning was spent relaying news of the shootings to athletes and arranging for them to call home to check on families, if they had links to Christchurch, and frantically following media reports.

The news of the attack came hours after the euphoria of the opening ceremony on Thursday, when athletes were cheered into the Zayed Sports City stadium by tens of thousands.

“The Games are all about inclusion and acceptance,” Mr Robson said. “What happened in Christchurch is the exact opposite of that. But the mosque visit, with the reflection and support that we’ve had, really does show the true value of the Special Olympics and both of our countries.

“I’m determined that this won’t stop us going about what we should be doing, which is being involved in sport and breaking down those barriers.”

Also in attendance at the mosque was Matthew Hawkins, the New Zealand ambassador to the UAE. The diplomat has already expressed thanks for messages of support from senior figures in the UAE government, as well as the gesture of lightning up landmark buildings in the colours of his country’s flag.

The vigil at the mosque was one of hundreds of memorial events held throughout the world. On the same evening that he visited the Abu Dhabi mosque, Mr Hawkins said his own family were busy paying tribute to the victims at a mosque in Hamilton, New Zealand’s fourth largest city.

“The response in the UAE to the tragic terrorist attack in New Zealand has been overwhelming,” the ambassador said.

“The opportunity to spend time with the UAE and New Zealand athletes at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and listen to Tim Shriver, Chairman of the Special Olympics, was very moving and quite emotional.

“The messages of diversity, inclusion and tolerance that I heard at the opening ceremony in Zayed Stadium on Thursday night were amplified as we stood together hand in hand in the middle of the mosque.

“This act of terror goes against the core of what New Zealand stands for. We represent diversity, kindness, compassion. And those values will not and cannot be shaken by this attack.”

Matthew Hawkins, wearing a blue suit and tie, smiles alongside New Zealand's Special Olympic athletes at the opening ceremony on Thursday. Mohamed Al Baloushi.

New Zealand ambassador thanks UAE for solidarity in face of terror attack

Country's embassy also condemns Australian politician whose comments caused outrage

March 16, 2019

New Zealand’s ambassador to the UAE has thanked the Emirates for its support following the tragic shootings at two mosques in Christchurch on Friday.

Matthew Hawkins, who became head of New Zealand’s embassy in Abu Dhabi in January, also distanced his country from the “extremist” Australian senator who blamed the devastating terrorist attack on Muslim immigration.

Mr Hawkins shared a statement from New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemning inflammatory remarks made by Fraser Anning.

Mr Anning, a member of the Australian senate since November 2017, claimed the tragedy was due to “Muslim fanatics” being allowed to migrate to New Zealand.

“Comments by Australian Senator Fraser Anning do not represent the views of New Zealanders,” said the statement.

“Fraser Anning is not a New Zealander and his extreme views are condemned by politicians in New Zealand and in his own country.”

On Thursday, Mr Hawkins joined the New Zealand Special Olympics team for the opening ceremony of the seven-day sporting extravaganza in Abu Dhabi.

When news of the attack broke, officials took the decision to light up a number of buildings in the capital - including the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company headquarters - with the New Zealand flag in a show of solidarity.

Mr Hawkins described the gesture as “special”. He added: “[On Thursday] I joined the NZ team for the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics.

“The powerful message from our UAE hosts was one of inclusion and tolerance.

“The UAE hosts 200 nationalities including thousands of NZers. Then I woke this morning [Friday] to awful news from Christchurch.

“I received many messages of condolences from senior members of the UAE government, officials, colleagues and friends.

“Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for the victims of Christchurch and for our country.”

Mr Anning, meanwhile, has been widely condemned for a statement issued following the attacks, believed to have left at least 49 dead.

In it, he claimed the “real cause of bloodshed” was “the immigration programme which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place”.

On Friday, a 17-year-old boy smashed an egg over Mr Anning’s head as he spoke to the media.

The senator, who sits as an independent and was not directly elected, swung two punches at the teenager in response.