“Call it what it is: an act of terror” – netizens

A massacre of at least 50 Muslims which took place in Christchurch, New Zealand last Friday (March 15) has sparked interest from netizens all around the world.

 

In Malaysia, citizens have been expressing sadness, condolences and prayers for the victims and their families on social media.

 

Malaysia, Malaysia Indicator, Christchurch, New Zealand, shooting, terrorist, gunman, attack, Twitter

 

Together with the condolences, the netizens are also showing their condemnation towards the terror attack, noting the no death penalty act in New Zealand as “not enough” punishment.

 

Malaysia, Malaysia Indicator, Christchurch, New Zealand, shooting, terrorist, gunman, attack, Twitter

 

The headlines from western media reporting the attack have been heavily criticised. The Guardian, The New York Times, and Wall Street Journal are among the media that labelled the brutal killings as “shooting” instead of “terrorism” and “gunman” instead of “terrorist”.

 

Malaysia, Malaysia Indicator, Christchurch, New Zealand, shooting, terrorist, gunman, attack, Twitter

 

A different perspective can be found amidst the empathetic netizens, which directs the blame on hate speeches given by leaders in politics, socials, and religions.

 

Among the few names emerging from the heated discussions is Dr. Zakir Naik, an Indian Islamic preacher who bases his preaching on hate speech towards other religions.

 

Dr. Zakir Naik was granted permanent residence in Malaysia by former Barisan Nasional government.

 

According to some netizens, hate speech could be the foundation of an act of violence.

 

Malaysia, Malaysia Indicator, Christchurch, New Zealand, shooting, terrorist, gunman, attack, Twitter

 

Globally, the US President Donald Trump has been named as the inspiration of the attack against Muslims in Christchurch.

 

Malaysia, Malaysia Indicator, Christchurch, New Zealand, shooting, terrorist, gunman, attack, Twitter

 

The Australian-born suspect Brenton Tarrant was arrested on the same day of the attack, along with explosives found in his car, and it is believed that he was planning for more attacks on that day.