UN chief meets NZ mosque victims, decries online hate

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned hate speech was spreading online “like wildfire” at a meeting with victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings yesterday, vowing the world body will lead efforts to extinguish the problem.

Guterres visited the Al Noor mosque, one of two Muslim centres in the New Zealand city where a self-described white supremacist killed 51 people in a March 15 shooting that the attacker live-streamed on Facebook.

The UN chief is travelling the South Pacific to highlight the impact of climate change but said he also wanted to show his support for Christchurch’s Muslim community during Ramadan.

“I know there are no words to relieve the hurt and sorrow and pain, but I wanted to come here personally to transmit love, support and total and complete admiration,” he said.

 

UN chief meets NZ mosque victims, decries online hate

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned hate speech was spreading online like wildfire at a meeting with victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings yesterday, vowing the world body will lead efforts to extinguish the problem. Guterres visited the Al Noor mosque, one of two Muslim centres in the New Zealand city where a self-described white supremacist killed 51 people in a March 15 shooting that the attacker live-streamed on Facebook. The UN chief is travelling the South Pacific to highlight the impact of climate change but said he also wanted to show his support for Christchurchs Muslim community during Ramadan. I know there are no words to relieve the hurt and sorrow and pain, but I wanted to come here personally to transmit love, support and total and complete admiration, he said.