AMP Report – March 16, 2019 (Updated on March 22, 2019)
What happened in Christchurch, New Zealand?
Police have charged a 28-year-old Australian citizen, Brenton Tarrant, with murder for shooting at least 50 people dead at two mosques during Friday prayers. The suspect posted a white supremacist manifesto before the attacks and livestreamed the shooting on social media.
Among the victims of the terrorist attack were nationals from Syria, Jordan, India, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
On Friday (March 15), a shooter entered the Al Noor Mosque, in Christchurch and opened fire with multiple weapons, killing 41 people.
Around the same time a shooter or shooters also opened fire at the nearby Linwood Mosque, killing seven others. One other died later in hospital, while a 50 victim was found at the first mosque a day later.
Shortly afterward a livestream video of the attack spread around the world through social media, as Facebook and Twitter worked to remove the video from their platforms.
Police arrested four individuals in the attacks' immediate aftermath. One was eventually released, one has been charged with murder, and two remain in custody.
Police also said they had found explosive devices at one mosque, which they secured and detonated.
They warned people not to go anywhere near mosques in the country. [DW German Media report]
Terrorist’s hate-filled manifest
Brenton Tarrant posted a hate-filled "manifesto" online before the mass killing suggesting neo-Nazi ideology and immigration to Europe had spurred him into action. Titled "The Great Replacement," the 74-page manifesto repeats popular far-right conspiracy theories about how white Europeans are being deliberately replaced by non-white immigrants. In pictures posted on the suspect's Twitter account before it was deleted, magazine barrels are shown on which the names of far-right mass killers are inscribed, as well as European figures who fought the Ottoman Turks in the 17th century.
A Twitter account under Brenton Tarrant’s name posted a link to the manifesto before the attack, and biographical details in the document are the same as those of the suspect.
In the 74-page document titled "The Great Replacement," which was circulating online despite attempts by social media companies to remove it, the terrorist Tarrant describes his background as "just a regular White man." He says he carried out the attack "to take a stand to ensure a future for my people."
Tarrant describes himself as a "racist" and a "fascist."
The Huffington Post reported that the document was posted on his Twitter account before being deleted. It was also posted on the messaging board 8Chan, an online hub for white nationalists.
The document outlines a series of grievances long familiar from far-right propaganda and white nationalist messaging boards. The author pledges to "take revenge on the invaders for the hundreds and thousands of deaths caused by foreign invaders."
Tarrant justifies attacking New Zealand, because he says it would highlight that even the relatively remote nation is not "free from mass immigration."
The manifest focuses on the history Islam and the West, with the author describing a hatred of Muslim immigrants in Europe.
He cites the "white genocide" theory central to white nationalist ideology, that holds white people are being deliberately pushed into a demographic minority, in part because their birth rate is lower than that of other ethnic groups.
The author claims inspiration from far-right mass killers Anders Breivik, a Norwegian white nationalist who killed 77 people, many of them children, in 2011.
He also cites Dylann Roof, who killed nine African-Americans at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015.
Aussie Brenton Harrison Tarrant, in his manifesto referred to Nelson Mandela as a terrorist:
“I do not expect to be released but I also expect an eventual Nobel Peace Prize - as was awarded to the terrorist Nelson Mandela once his own people achieved victory and took power. I expect to be freed in 27 years from my incarceration, the same number of years as Mandela, for the same crime.”
Tom Porter of the Insider says:
Tarrant claims to have used firearms in the attack for the "extra media coverage they would provide and the affect it could have on the politics of United States and thereby the political situation of the world."
Experts have said the document is laced with the ironic references familiar from alt-right online culture, with the author praising "edgy" memes as a means of spreading racist ideas.
In pictures posted on the suspect's Twitter account before it was deleted, magazine barrels are shown on which the names of far-right mass killers are inscribed, as well as European figures who fought the Ottoman Turks in the 17th century.
Erdogan showed the footage at election rallies: The Turkish president screened excerpts of the shooting at rallies for upcoming local elections to denounce Islamophobia. Despite New Zealand's protests, Erdogan again showed footage on Thursday
Erdogan's comments on manifesto: The president has also vowed to make the shooter pay if New Zealand fails to do so and send anti-Muslim Australians "back in coffins" like their grandfathers who had fought against Turkish Ottoman forces in World War I. The gunman's "manifesto" mentions Turkey and Erdogan as threats. In pictures posted on Brenton Tarrant’s Twitter account before it was deleted, magazine barrels are shown on which the names of far-right mass killers are inscribed, as well as European figures who fought the Ottoman Turks in the 17th century.
Australia's anger subsides: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison summoned the Turkish ambassador to protest Erdogan's comments, but has since welcomed a "moderation of the president's views."
The Journal of America Team:
Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott
Disclaimer and Fair Use Notice: Many articles on this web site are written by independent individuals or organizations. Their opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Journal of America and its affiliates. They are put here for interest and reference only. More details
Your donation
is tax deductable.
Article by
Journal Writes