Man whose wife was shot dead in Christchurch attack has message for accused killer Brenton Tarrant: ‘I still love you’

Days after Farid Ahmed, 59, lost his wife in New Zealand’s worst mass shooting, he insists he bears no grudge against the attacker

“I want to tell him in face that I am talking from my heart. I have no grudge against you, I never hated you, I will never hate you,” he said

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Farhid Ahmed holds a photo of his wife Husna, who was killed in the attack. Photo: Reuters

Published: 2:59pm, 19 Mar 2019Updated: 8:32am, 20 Mar 2019

A man in New Zealand whose wife was killed in the terrorist attack at Christchurch’s Al Noor mosque has a message for her killer: “I still love you.”

A total of fifty people died in a twin mosque attack in the city, after a self-described white supremacist armed with a rifle burst in and opened fire on worshippers during their Friday prayers.

“I want to give the message to the person who did this, or if he has any friends who also think like this: ‘I still love you’,” said Bangladesh-born Farid Ahmed, 59, as mourners arrived at his house to offer condolences for Husna, his wife of 25 years.

“I don’t agree with what you did ... you took a wrong decision, a wrong direction, but I want to believe in you. That you have great potential in your heart,” he said.

Farid Ahmed’s wife was shot while standing outside the mosque. Photo: Reuters

Farid found out about his wife’s death when a detective he knew called his niece as they waited outside the mosque.