The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) has denounced a bloody shooting at worshippers in the Al Noor mosque and the Linwood masjid in Christchurch, New Zealand in which 40 people have been reported dead, and 20 injured.

The shooting occurred today at 13.40 hrs (New Zealand Standard Time) during a Friday afternoon prayer.
Responding to the tragic incident in New Zealand, the General Secretary of CCA Dr. Mathews George Chunakara stated, “No matter what faith we adhere or ethnicity we belong to, everybody should be able to live in an atmosphere where peace and security is prevailed and sustained; any act of violence must be prevented with all possible efforts.”

“We send our heart-felt support to all those who have been affected; we offer prayers to Almighty God for the victims, their families and reach out through our grief and distress to our Islamic brothers and sisters in  New Zealand ”, said Dr. Mathews George Chunakara.

The CCA General Secretary further added that CCA shares the sentiments of Rev. Nicola Teague Grundy, Vice President of the Methodist Church of New Zealand, who said “to single out one group of people as a focus of an act of hatred affects us all. There is no place ever for this type of attack on people, and we stand by all people, no matter what their faith. All people should be able to worship and live in a place of safety”.

Recalling the prophetic affirmation that “Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken” (Micah 4:4), the CCA General Secretary urged:  “Let us pray fervently that God will take those killed into His merciful arms and grant them eternal rest. Let there be peace in the hearts of all those who are shattered by this awful tragedy that has destroyed a rather peaceful setting in a religiously tolerant country like New Zealand”.

The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Arden called the incident “one of New Zealand’s darkest days.”

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the incident a “rightwing 

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the incident as a “rightwing extremist attack” and said one suspect was Australian-born.