Haji Mohemmed Daoud Nabi, 71

Nabi was a talented man, a beloved father and grandfather who had come to Christchurch from Afghanistan 40 years before his death. He ran the Afghan Association in Christchurch. He was fatally shot  at the Masjid An-Nur (also known as Al Noor Mosque) as he tried to shield another person, according to his son Omar Nabi. 

“He was a father and an uncle to people who had none,” said friend Shamim Homayun.

“He was always giving something away, whether it was his time and advice, or sharing food. And he saw humankind as one.”

Nabi is survived by his wife, four sons and one daughter.

Khaled Alhaj-Mustafa, 44

Mustafa and his family had fled civil war in Syria, living in a Jordanian refugee camp for a number of years before moving to NZ in 2018. The family are members of the Circassian community, originating from the area around the Black Sea in eastern Europe.

Mustafa loved animals, particularly horses and worked as a farrier. He was known for his sensitive and gentle nature.

He was killed at the Masjid Al Noor alongside his 16-year-old son, Hamza. He is survived by his wife Salwa and a son and daughter.

Ali Mah’d Abdullah Elmadani, 66

Elmadani was a retired engineer. He and his wife immigrated to New Zealand from the United Arab Emirates in 1998. He valued strength and patience, his family said.

Ali Elmadani left behind a wife, one son, and three daughters.

Ata Mohammad Ata Elayyan, 33

Elayyan leaves behind his wife Farah and 2-year-old daughter Aya. He was a popular member of the Christchurch tech industry and the goalkeeper for the national and Canterbury men’s futsal teams. He was shot as he prayed at the Masjid Al Noor on Deans Ave. His friends have described him as a “loving father and husband, passionate technologist, loyal friend, and beautiful human”.

“You met me with a smile, introduced me to the group, and made me feel welcome,” said football player Elliot Collier, about the first time he met Elayyan.

“Most people don’t do that, Atta. It takes someone rare to treat people with that kind of empathy. But that's who you were. You were just being you.”

He’d invested the last seven  years of his life in his start-up, LWA Solutions. The Givealittle page set up to support his family says: “Atta had a passion for supporting and helping others in the good times and bad.”

Husna Ahmed, 44

Ahmed was shot dead as she returned to the Masjid Al Noor in Deans Ave to check on her husband Farid, after getting some children to safety. Husna and her husband of 24 years, were in separate rooms inside the Al Noor Mosque when the attack began.

Farid Ahmed, who is paraplegic after a crash in Nelson nearly 20 years ago, quickly headed for the exit.

Meanwhile his wife and a group of women took some children out to Deans Ave to safety as another group of women hid in a toilet inside the mosque.

Once the children were safe she went back to the mosque to check on her husband. As she made her way towards the mosque the mother-of-one was shot dead on the footpath.

Farid Ahmed said his wife was a “very courageous and caring” person and a “dedicated wife”.

“We worked as a team, we were extremely happy.”

Losing her was a “big loss” for him and their 15-year-old daughter.

“Everything hurts, I’m feeling for her, I’m feeling for all the people hurt and I’m feeling for the whole of New Zealand.”

Four years into their marriage Farid Ahmed was involved in a serious crash in Nelson. He was transferred immediately to Christchurch Hospital.

“The prognosis was very bad. She was with me, holding on, supporting me and then with her support and other people’s help I came out of that situation.”

Junaid Ismail, 36

Ismail was with his twin brother Zahid when he was fatally shot. His brother managed to escape with his wife. Ismail leaves behind a wife, three young children and a mother who relied on him to care for her. He owned and ran a family business called Springs Road Dairy. “I couldn’t find a more softly spoken, shy, beautiful personality,” Ismail's cousin, Javed Dadabhai said. 

Customers and suppliers describe Junaid as a gentle, humble person who treated everyone respectfully. Zahid said he and family friends would continue the business which has been part of the Hornby community for over three decades. 

Hamza Khaled Alhaj Mustafa, 16

Hamza, a Cashmere High School student, was the son of Khaled Mustafa, who was also killed. Hamza came to Christchurch with his family in 2018.

He was a keen horse rider and was well known in the equestrian community. Hamza, who celebrated his birthday only two days earlier, was on the phone to his mother when he died.

“Everyone loved Hamza, very caring, very polite,” his mother, Salwa Tsay, said.

“He was the most wonderful boy… Everything good that you can imagine in this world was in my Hamza.”

Hussein Al-Umari, 35

Al-Umari was a regular at the Masjid Al Noor where he was killed. Al-Umari’s family moved to New Zealand from the United Arab Emirates 22 years ago. His mother, Janna Ezat, said her son was full of life and always put the needs of others before his own.

He was an exercise enthusiast who loved taking long walks, sometimes several times a day. He also loved to travel. He previously worked for VBase and in the travel industry.

Mucaad Aden Ibrahim, 3

Mucaad, was born in Christchurch, though his family is from Somalia. He was with his father and brother at the Masjid Al Noor when he was killed. His father and brother escaped. 

He was a clever boy, who could already read sections of the Quran. He loved his dad and his brothers, and enjoyed being in the Masjid. Every Friday night, he would watch his family play football at Hagley Park. He was “energetic, playful and liked to smile and laugh a lot,” his brother, Abdi, said.

Lilik Abdul Hamid, 57

Hamid moved to Christchurch permanently in 2003 to work as an aircraft engineer at Air New Zealand. A family friend said Hamid was a kind-hearted man, willing to help others no matter their nationality or religion.

“He was like a father or a go-to person for most Indonesian people in Christchurch and I believe all Indonesians in New Zealand know him as well.”

He worshipped regularly at the Masjid Al Noor were he was killed. He is survived by his wife, Nina, and their two children.

Mohammed Imran Khan, 46

Khan was known as Imran Bhai to family and friends. He was a hard worker with three businesses including the Indian Grill restaurant and takeaway in Hills Rd, the recently opened Macah halal butchery, also in Hills Rd, and a cafe in St Albans, run by his wife. 

He died at the Linwood Masjid and is survived by his wife and 15-year-old son. Long-time friend Sukhvinder Singh said he was a kind and helpful man, well-loved in the Indian and Muslim communities. His cousin Mohammed Mubashir Khan said, “I used to think, 'how can he do this much by himself’, opening his store, managing staff....I admired him.”

He was a regular at the mosque for prayers and often brought along food from his restaurant to share. He was especially known for his biryani.

Linda Armstrong, 64

Armstrong grew up in West Auckland, moving  to Christchurch in recent years to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren. 

It was through her volunteer work with refugees in south Auckland that she converted to Islam and was given the title “Sister Linda”.

She befriended many travellers, immigrants and refugees, opening her home, her heart and her kitchen. Her family said she loved showing parts of New Zealand to visitors or immigrants and helping them to settle into their new home.

“She was a mentor for many Islamic women and would mediate between disagreeing parties,” her brother, Tony Gosse, said. “She always had an open ear and a shoulder to lean on.”

Armstrong was at the Linwood Masjid when she was shot in the chest and died, shielding a friend with her body.

Sayyad Ahmad Milne, 14

Sayyad, a Cashmere High School student, grew up in Corsair Bay, near Lyttelton. He was killed in the attack on the Masjid Al Noor in Deans Ave. Milne was described by his sister, Brydie Henry, as a good-natured, sporty teenager who loved football. He had dreams of being an international footballer, and played goalie. His sister, Cahaya, said: “He was a loving and kind brother and will be greatly missed.”

Ashraf Ali, 61

Ali moved to New Zealand 17 years ago from Fiji. His daughter, Zeba Ali, said the father-of-two last worked as a slaughterman at Brinks Chicken preparing halal chicken.

Ashraf was devout and never missed prayers at the Masjid Al Noor, she said.

“That was like his second home . . . he adored going there actually, nothing would stop him going.”

She described her father as “a very kind, and very giving man”.

“He wouldn’t have hatred in his heart to say anything bad about anyone.”

He was buried alongside several of his friends.

Syed Jahandad Ali, 34

Ali had worked as a senior dynamics developer at software company Intergen since 2012. He had studied at NED University of Engineering and Technology in Karachi. Ali was a family man, who moved to New Zealand because he thought it would be the perfect place to raise a family.

Ali had “deeply touched the lives of his friends, colleagues and wider technology community through his knowledge and skills,” Intergen said in a statement.

He is survived by his wife, Amna, and children, Meesha (4), Aisha (2) and Mohammad (6 months old).

Naeem Rashid, 50

Rashid will be remembered as one of the heroes of the Masjid Al Noor. He rushed the gunman and tried to wrest the gun from him. He died in Christchurch Hospital.

His son Talha, 21, was also killed at the mosque.

Originally from the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, he worked in banking and moved to New Zealand several years ago to settle in Christchurch. He worked as a teacher and more recently for the Kiwi Institute of Training and Education.

“He was always helping people and he loved everyone,” his wife, Ambreen Naeem, said.

“He was an open-hearted man, he was compassionate.”

Rashid is survived by his wife and their two sons.

Tariq Rashid Omar, 24

Omar was a football coach, who had most recently coached an under-9s team.

He grew up in Christchurch, and was a student at Cashmere High School before studying geology at the University of Canterbury.

He was close to his family, particularly his three siblings.

“When the four of us were together we’d always be crying with laughter at some point,” his sister, Qariah, said.

Omar died at the Masjid Al Noor.

Matiullah Safi, 55

Safi came to New Zealand via India about nine years ago, and worked at various jobs.

He was a devout man and a regular at the Masjid Al Noor. He was well known in Christchurch’s small Afghani community.

Before coming to Christchurch, his brother had been killed in the war in Afghanistan.

He is survived by his wife, six sons and one daughter.

Farhaj Ahsan, 30

Ahsan was a father-of-two, a baby aged 7 months and a 2-year-old. He is also survived by his wife. He moved to New Zealand from Hyderabad, India, several years ago and obtained a masters degree at Auckland University. Before his death, Ahsan worked as a software engineer in Christchurch.

“He is a very nice and sweet person,” his friend, Abdul Feroze, said.

“He was always helpful to his friends. It’s very sad that we lost such a charming guy.”

He died in the Masjid Al Noor.

Kamal Darwish, 38

Darwish immigrated to New Zealand about six months before the attack and worked on a dairy farm in Ashburton.

He was encouraged to come to New Zealand by his brother, Zuhair, and left his family in Jordan with the idea they would join him later. They had applied for a visa to move to New Zealand.

“He was very honest and caring,” Zuhair said.

Their mother, Suad Adwan, died of a heart attack shortly after her son’s burial.

Darwish is survived by his wife, Rana, and their three children.

He died in the Masjid Al Noor.

Muhammad Suhail Shahid, 35

Shahid was an engineer from Pakistan working as a production manager at resin manufacturer Hexion, in Christchurch. He moved to New Zealand in 2017 and lived in Auckland for a year before moving to Christchurch for a new job with his wife Asma and two young daughters aged 2 and 5. His wife said he was a “very kind-hearted, smart and loving person. His daughters were his life.” He was praying at the Masjid Al Noor when he was killed.

Abdelfattah Qasem, 60

Qasem, originally from Palestine, was the Muslim Association of Canterbury’s former secretary. He was an IT specialist who worked in Kuwait for much of his life. His family moved to New Zealand in the early 1990’s seeking a more secure place for his children during the Gulf War. He lived on a small farm.

He has a wife and three daughters who are living in New Zealand, Australia and England. His daughter in Australia, Rawan Qasem, gave birth to Qasem’s first grandchild in May

To honour his memory, she named her son Elias Alabdelfattah Al-Kubaisy.

“He loves helping people,” his wife, Siham, said.

“He is very kind and he always smiles. Cheeky, and handsome. He is very polite.”

He was killed at the Masjid Al Noor in Deans Ave. Four of his close friends were also killed in the attack.

Musa Vali Suleman Patel, 60

Patel, the former Imam of the Lautoka Jame Masjid in Fiji, was visiting Christchurch to see his son. Relatives said Patel was “a national icon, a recognisable face” and thousands attended his funeral in Auckland.

“Musa was a highly respected member of the Fiji Muslim League and served selflessly as a Imam, teacher, mentor and was much sought after as a powerful orator and speaker,” said Hafizud Khan, president of the Fiji Muslim League.

Musa’s wife Saira Bibi Patel was sitting near her husband at the mosque when the gunman opened fire but escaped uninjured. He is survived by his wife, three daughters and two sons. 

Patel was killed at the Linwood Masjid Mosque.

Ramiz Arifbhai Vora, 28

Vora and his father Arif were killed in the attack on the Masjid Al Noor. Vora had become a father only five days before the attack. He only had the chance to hold his daughter once, and he was praying for her health when he was killed.

“He was so happy, he was deciding the name of his daughter and helping his wife,” Farheen Vahora, a family friend, said.

Vora worked at Tegel as a halal slaughterman and was described by friends as a “gentleman” who never missed prayers if he could help it.

Ansi Karippakulam Alibava, 25

Alibava came to New Zealand to pursue a Master of Agribusiness Management at Lincoln University. She recently completed her degree which was posthumously awarded at a graduation ceremony in May.

She was married to Abdul Nazer Ponnath Hamsa and worked part-time as an intern at Lincoln Agritech and at Kmart Riccarton.

“The life Ansi and I had together, the plans we made, the family we hoped to build here, all vanished in a moment of senseless anti-immigrant rage,” Ponnath Hamsa said.

Alibava was from the southern Indian state of Kerala. She was outside the Masjid Al Noor.

Friends said she was bubbly and loveable.

Ozair Kadir, 24

Kadir, was a student pilot at the International Aviation Academy of New Zealand. He had been in Christchurch for about a year, according to a member of the Indian community.

He wanted to become a commercial airline pilot, following in the footsteps of his older brother, the aviation academy said in a statement.

“Ozair’s presence will be sadly missed by all staff and students at the Academy.” He was killed at the Masjid Al Noor.

Arif Mohamedali Vohra, 58

Vora was in Christchurch to visit his son, Ramiz, who had just become a father.

He and his wife had been in Christchurch for one month when he was killed, alongside his son, at the Masjid Al Noor.

They were buried together in Christchurch.

Ashraf El-Moursy Ragheb, 54

Ragheb came to New Zealand from Cairo in the late 1990s. He married Seham 14 years ago and they had two children, Salma, 13, and Yousef, 12. He owned his own souvlaki shop for many years and more recently had worked as an employee in a new souvlaki shop in Riccarton. His family said he was a quiet man whose life was his work and home. 

Salma said her father liked taking her and Yousef for swimming lessons when he would sit in the spa. He was fond of animals and each day fed a group of stray cats who called at the back of the souvlaki shop. They had been talking about getting a dog. Due to his hours of work, Ragheb was not a regular at the Masjid Al Noor where he was praying with his wife Seham when he was shot. Seham escaped uninjured.

Talha Naeem, 21

Naeem was a regular at the Masjid Al Noor, and would often ride his bike there.

One witness of the shooting said when Naeem was shot, he fell on top of another worshipper, using his last words to urge them to stay still.

Naeem had just earned a job as an engineer, and was providing for his mother and his two brothers.

“He was the person who was very helpful”, said his mother, Ambreen.

“All his friends, everyone, said he was always telling them to be positive, and to do the right thing.”

His father, Naeem Rashid, was also killed in the mosque.

Haroon Mahmood, 40

Mahmood worked in banking in Pakistan and tutored in economics and statistics at Lincoln University between 2014 and 2016.

He also lectured in business at Linguis International in Christchurch from 2014 until April 2017, and joined Canterbury College in May 2017.

His family said they would remember his smile, warmth, humour, respect and dedication.

Mahmood is survived by his wife and two children, aged 13 and 11. He had completed a PhD in finance before his death at the Masjid Al Noor. His degree was accepted by his family at a ceremony in May.

Syed Areeb Ahmed, 26

Ahmed had recently moved to Christchurch from Karachi to work as a chartered accountant on secondment to PriceWaterhouseCoopers with the intention of supporting his family in Pakistan.

He was an only son.

“Areeb was a loved and respected member of our PwC family who lived our values every day,” the company said.

“His smile, warmth, dedication, respect and humour will be deeply missed.”

Ahmed was killed at the Masjid Al Noor.

Maheboob Allarakha Khokhar, 65

Khokhar was due to return home the weekend after the shootings.

He and his wife had been visiting their son, Imran who had taken them on a trip around the South Island.

“[The family] were really happy that his last days were here on holiday not at work,” his daughter-in-law said.

Khokhar was killed at the Masjid Al Noor.

Mohd Maziq Mohd-Tarmizi, 17

Muhammad moved to New Zealand with his family about 18 months earlier. He died at the Masjid Al Noor, where his father Mohd Tarmizi Shuib was also injured. His mother and younger brother escaped the gunfire.

He was in Year 12 at Burnside High School, and was a bright student.

“[He was] a great young man who had the respect of his mates and teachers,” principal Phil Holstein said.

“Conscientious, self-motivated and just wanted to do well. Teachers have noted that he has grown in confidence in the short time he has been here. He was ready, as one teacher said, to flourish.”

Hussein Mohamed Khalil Moustafa, 70

Moustafa came to New Zealand from Egypt 20 years ago looking for a better life for his family. 

A volunteer at the Al Noor mosque, Moustafa renovated a building at the back of the property and converted it into a library for the community. 

He planted a vegetable garden at the back of the mosque, “for the community to help themselves to”, his son, Mohamed Moustafa, said.

“He would spend hours [at the mosque] every day.”

“He always had a smile on his face. I try to think hard about a time when he was angry and I struggle.’’

His father was a fit man who did not like people to know his age, and he was keen on Greco-Roman wrestling.

“He would say, it doesn’t matter how much you go to the gym, you’re never going to be stronger than me.”

“He was quite a jovial man who couldn’t hurt a fly.’’

Hussein Moustafa was a “simple man” who never cared about luxuries and loved his old car. He was often upskilling, doing accounting, English and computing diplomas. He was proud to have three successful, professional children.

Mohamed Moustafa recalled one day his father was cleaning up around the mosque, as he often did, and found a pile of burial shrouds in a cupboard that had been forgotten about. His father conserved them and kept them safe in case they were ever needed. "It is most likely he was actually buried in them." 

Hussein Moustafa is survived by his wife, Zahra Fathy, sons Mohamed, 34, Zeyad, 22, and daughter Arwa, 35.

Amjad Kasem Hamid, 57

Hamid was a senior medical officer and rural hospital consultant at Hawera Hospital, and had previously worked as a senior doctor with the Canterbury DHB.

The cardiologist  had come to Christchurch from Qatar in 1995, and remained in the city even after gaining a job in Taranaki, preferring to commute.

“He was hard working, down to earth, passionate. He was a good husband and a good father. He loved and respected everybody,’’ his wife, Hanan, said.

His colleagues said he was well liked for his kindness, compassion and his sense of humour. He was a hard working doctor, deeply committed to caring for his patients, and a thoughtful team member who was supportive of all staff.

Hamid died at the Masjid Al Noor.

Mounir Guirgis Soliman, 68

Soliman, originally from Egypt, had been a design engineer and quality manager at Scotts Engineering, Christchurch, for two decades.

He never missed Friday prayers and would go to the mosque every day. He also prayed at work.

Soliman was a “lovely man,” who would be missed both for his personality and for his vital role in the company, a spokeswoman said.

He had no children and is survived by his wife, Ekram.

Soliman died at the Masjid Al Noor.

Muhammed Zeeshan Raza, 38

Raza, a mechanical engineer, moved to New Zealand last year from Karachi. He lived in Auckland before moving to Christchurch for work in December.

Raza and his parents, Ghulam Hussain and Karam Bibi, were killed at the Linwood Masjid.

His younger sister, Mariam Gul, said she was very close to her older brother, who she described as a “cheerful person with a positive attitude” who always found a way to make her happy if she was upset.

“He called New Zealand a land of opportunities. He used to say it was like a paradise - a peaceful and beautiful place.”

Ghulam Hussain, 66

Hussain and his wife, Karam Bibi, came to New Zealand to visit their son in February.  

All three died together at the Linwood Masjid.

Their daughter, Mariam Gul, said her parents had been enjoying their time in New Zealand immensely.

She described her father as a “pious and virtuous” man who was a “true gentleman”.

“I don’t have words to praise his love for almighty God and his creatures.”

Karam Bibi, 63

Bibi had come to New Zealand with her husband, Ghulam Hussain, to see their son, Zeeshan Raza.

All three were killed at the Linwood Masjid.

Her daughter, Mariam Gul, said her mother was a “disciplined and organised lady.”

“She was a source of courage and patience in our family.”