Dear Parents and Guardians,

On Friday we were numbed by the news of a hate-filled terror attack targeting two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch that killed 50 people and wounded 50 more. In the aftermath of the attack, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the attack had not happened because their country was a harbour for hate or racism or extremism.  New Zealand was chosen, she said, for the very fact that it is none of those things, because its people represent diversity, kindness and compassion. It is a home for those who share their values and a refuge for those who need it. 

On Tuesday we came together to remember the victims of Christchurch, to pay our respects, to try to help our boys make sense of such an atrocity and to think about how we, as individuals and a community should respond.

In his address, Headmaster told our boys this was a tragedy born of hatred. A hatred of difference, a small-mindedness that fails to see that our humanity – our love of our families, our children, our communities – overrides our differences.

He urged boys to listen very carefully as he explained the difference between fundamentalism and liberalism in all religions. A liberal – whatever their religion – understands difference and welcomes (or at least is willing to consider) alternative points of view. A fundamentalist hates difference and demands everyone has the same point of view as them.

So, what can we do? Our boys have been urged to respond to the hatred that underpinned the Christchurch attacks with the opposite emotion: love. We also provided the opportunity for the non-Muslims among us to become more educated about Islam. So, when the boys returned to class, some aspect of Islamic culture was front and centre.  Please ask your son to share with you what he learned.