There is a lesson for Sri Lanka to learn from New Zealand PM

By M.M. Zuhair 

Following the widely-condemned despicable knife attack on innocent shoppers at the New Lynn mall in the suburb of Auckland, New Zealand on 3 September, Kiwi Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s empathetic but emphatic speech, “It was carried out by an individual; not a faith, not a culture, not an ethnicity. But an individual gripped by an ideology not supported here by anyone or any community” went viral particularly amongst Muslims worldwide!

What is significant in the Prime Minister’s timely and precise response was that she did identify the attacker of Sri Lankan origin as a single stand-alone individual, thereby instantly separating the alleged IS inspired attacker from the rest of his faith, culture and ethnicity and in effect from his countrymen. She paved the way for persons of the attacker’s faith as well to unite and fight the common enemy, real “terrorism”. 

New Zealand’s strategy is bound to succeed in preventing greater radicalisation or widening resistance amongst those who feel victimised by the globalised unceasing wars, converting millions of otherwise normal people into refugees and then to modern day ‘slavery’ for the refugees’ survival. 

In the absence of an objective strategic vision to isolate the terrorist from the rest of his kith, kin and compatriots in faith; ‘resistance, violent resistance and terrorism’ are bound to multiply in an unmanageable vicious cycle. 

That is a lesson Sri Lanka needs to learn from Arden’s handling of two major blows to peace and harmony that New Zealand went through on 15 March 2019 at Christ Church and on 3rd September 2021 at Auckland. Kiwi PM Jacinda Arden’s handling of the Auckland attack needs to be commended even while we condemn the attack! However the commendation does not extend to the New Zealand police but that is another subject!

The family has said, in a statement issued, that the Auckland attacker was wrong in what he did, expressed sorrow for the victims but that he has had a long spell of mental health problems. The family is sad that he could not be saved.

It is noteworthy that a witness to the attack in the mall had said the attacker was “running around like a lunatic”. It is for the authorities in New Zealand to examine whether the attacker was indeed a ‘terrorist’ or a ‘lunatic’. Lunatics are excusable but not terrorists. 

(The writer, PC, is a former MP.)