The Australian Jewish Democratic Society responds with horror to the neo-Nazi terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch New Zealand. We would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the families of the victims and the New Zealand community.
We are even more disturbed to learn that an Australian was the key protagonist in the shooting. This should be a cause for considerable reflection in our country. This attack did not occur in a vacuum but in the context of rising Islamophobia and, more recently, within the context of a disturbing escalation of right-wing organisation and violence globally. Racist violence targets both Jewish and Muslim communities, as the recent attack on a synagogue in Pittsburgh, attests. We refuse to allow our communities to be divided by racism and fear.
What may have been at the fringe of mainstream politics has increasingly infiltrated that mainstream. In countries such as the US, Jews and Muslims have increasingly forged bonds to counter the rising tide of right-wing extremism, which has targeted both their communities. AJDS hopes that in these difficult times, Australians will similarly look to each other to forge common links that can serve as a bulwark against the spread of the type of ideas that culminate in atrocities such as Christchurch.
שלא תדעו עוד צער
(That you should not suffer more sadness)