In many parts of New Zealand life stood still from 13:32 to 13:34 local time: with two minutes of silence, the country has thought on Friday the 50 fatalities of the racially motivated attack on two mosques in the city of Christchurch. Almost at that time, a week earlier, an assassin raided the first of the two mosques during Friday prayers.

Many women in New Zealand wore a headscarf as a sign of solidarity with Muslim communities on Friday - the "Headscarf for Harmony" initiative called for the action.

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Women with headscarves in front of the Al-Nur mosque

Bell Sibly, who participated in the Solidarity Campaign in Christchurch, explained, "If anyone comes up with a gun, I want to stand between him and the person he's targeting, and I want him to know no difference because there is no difference. "

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also came to Friday praying with a headscarf. She had worn one on previous visits with Muslims and harvested much praise for it. Policewomen who protected funerals and gatherings were also wearing headscarves.

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Policemen in front of a cemetery in Christchurch on which victims of the terrorist attack were buried

In addition, there were human chains around various mosques on Friday. The funeral ceremony in front of the Al-Nur Mosque, which began with the call of a Muslim cleric to prayer, was broadcast live on radio and television. For next week a national funeral service is planned.

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Muslims at Friday prayers in the park in front of the Al-Nur mosque

On Thursday Ardern had announced that in the country, inter alia, semi-automatic weapons - as the shooter had used - are now prohibited. As a suspected perpetrator sits a 28-year-old right-wing extremist from Australia in custody. He faces life imprisonment.