Abdul Aziz Wahabzada is celebrated as a Hero of Christchurch. The 48-year-old Afghan was an eye-witness of the murder, and has placed the assassin in the way. In a DW Interview, he expresses exclusively.
After the 28-year-old alleged right terrorist Brenton Tarrant in the Al-had Only killed a mosque of Christchurch 41 people, he made a way in a suburb nearby Linwood mosque. Between 80 and 100 of the faithful had gathered there for Friday prayer, among them Abdul Aziz Wahabzada. For two and a half years, the native Afghan Wahabzada lives in new Zealand, operates a business there for furniture and household goods. After 27 years in Australia, he moved to new Zealand.
15. In March, he responded as quick as a flash, remembers the 48-Year-old in the DW-exclusive interview: “We have just spoken to the Friday prayer. The first prayer unit we had just finished. Then we heard shots from a gun. We have thought, as someone with pop would play bodies and have simply prayed more. A brother from the first series called that our Muslim brothers and sisters to be killed outside.”
Must answer now on trial for murder: the Australian right-wing extremist Brenton Tarrant
Wahabzada was at this time in the vicinity of the entrance and ran outside. Equipped with a credit-card reading device for self-defense, which fell first into the hands of:
“I saw outside a parked car that blocked the driveway. There was a man who wore a military hat and in his car was. I asked him, ‘Who are you?’ He looked at me and cursing began.”
Self-defense with a credit card reader
The assassin was at this moment, for a short time, unarmed. He was killed after its attack in the Al-Noor mosque in Linwood several people and wanted to get in this Moment one more weapon out of the car.
“The shotgun that he had previously in the Hand, not more than three to four shot. He had already killed three people, and the shotgun, then thrown away. In his car for more automatic rifles, and he wanted to take another weapon. He wanted to continue his deed of the Al-Noor mosque here.”
As Wahabzada saw that the man was not a military officer, but a gunner with obvious terrorist intentions, he threw in abruptly with the credit card reader device in accordance with the 28-year-old assassin. But the shooter was able to hide, took out an automatic assault rifle and began to shoot at Abdul Aziz Wahabzada. This managed to hide behind parked cars. Since his son called to him and asked him to come inside the mosque. However, Wahabzada asked his son to go and to wait on him. The father of the family grabbed the next to a corpse lying in the shotgun of the assassin, and pulled the trigger. Unsuccessful. There is no ammunition was in the gun.
The stop was triggered in the country a great wave of solidarity with the Muslim minority
Without hesitation, he called out to the assassin: “Come on down. I’m here.” He didn’t want to draw the attention of the Protect, to protect the faithful in the mosque and to prevent the death of other people. But this was not possible initially. The assassin was already gone into the mosque and shot there. Wahabzada was to Protect the heels. But to get this ran from the mosque to the replenishment of weapons and ammunition.
Windscreen smashed
Wahabzada is that the assassin has used two weapons in the Al-Noor mosque, and three more were with him, his fact, in Linwood to continue. Now he shot with another weapon, after he had in this moment, resorted to Wahabzada. The gunman threw away his weapon and got behind the wheel of his car. Wahabzada took the empty shotgun that was still in him and threw it to the assassin. The window of the car shattered and the assassin got it with the fear to do. Probably the assassin had believed that his car would be shot, so Wahabzada The assassin went immediately with his car, while Wahabzada ran to him again afterwards. However, the car turned and drove off and the assassin.
Wahabzada returned to the mosque and saw that a lot of women and men killed and others were injured. The “Hero of Christchurch,” says that he felt in this Moment have no fear, because he wanted to prevent more people injured or killed. In the mosque, four of his children were between the ages of 5 and 24 years, and his wife, as well as dozens of other people.
Does not see himself as a Hero: Abdul Aziz Wahabzada
“I had no fear. A person needs to have no fear of other people. I was just in awe of my Creator. So I have managed to not show the attacker that we are afraid of him. He had, instead, be afraid of us. That’s why he fled, although I’m empty-handed behind him, ran.”
Wahabzada wants to be a Hero
Believers in the mosque, but also international media referred to the Afghans as heroes. However, in his opinion, every human being, “the still feel a human emotion in itself would have acted” exactly. The demand is both his Islamic Faith, as well as the humanity, he also wants to believe in the future in the first place. Wahabzada is prevented by its action may be more attacks because of the smashed windshield of the car of the assassin noticed two police officers. This stopped Tarrant and arrests him.
The extreme right-wing Australian Brenton Tarrant shot on Friday in two mosques from Christchurch to believers. 50 people were killed, while 34 others are still treated in the hospital. The victims were between three and 77 years old. Except Wahabzada, there is another, and in this case, the tragic hero of Christchurch. The 71-year-old Afghan, Daud, Nabi was also the shooter in the way and in the process lost his life.