Christchurch (HRNW) Abdul Aziz and Naeem Rashid have been recognised for the highest bravery award among ten people by the New Zealand government in connection with the Christchurch attack.
On March 15, 2019, Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian and self-avowed white supremacist, was charged with 51 counts of murder and 39 of attempted murder after opening fire at the Linwood and Al Noor mosques.
Nine of the victims were of Pakistani origin. One, Naeem Rashid, was posthumously given an award for bravery by Pakistan after he apparently tried to tackle the gunman before being shot.
To honour his sacrifice while defending others during the attack New Zealand government has conferred The New Zealand Cross, the highest bravery award, on Dr Naeem Rashid.
On the other hand, Abdul Aziz was also recognised by the highest bravery award. He shouted and ran after the gunman to chase him away and threw a machine in his direction.
These people were “selfless and extraordinary”, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement.”They have deepest respect and gratitude for their actions on that day.”
Each of them put their life on the line to save others. If not for their collective actions, the loss of life could have been even greater, she said.
“We will always remember the 51 martyrs who died, including one of the recipients, and other victims.”
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