Gamal Fouda: 'They were the best of us, taken from us on the best of days', Christchurch Mosque memorial - 2019

22 March 2019, Hagley Park, Chrstchurch, New Zealand

Brothers and sisters in Islam, brothers and sisters in humanity, brothers and sisters in New Zealand.

Last Friday, I stood in this mosque and saw hatred and rage in the eyes of the terrorist who killed fifty innocent people, wounded 42, and broke the heart of millions around the world.

Today, from the same place, I look out and I see the love and compassion in the eyes of thousands of fellow New Zealanders and human beings from across the globe that fill the hearts of millions more who are not with us physically, but in spirit.

This terrorist sought to tear our nation apart with an evil ideology that has torn the world apart.

But instead, we have shown that New Zealand is unbreakable and that the world can see in us an example of love and unity.

We are broken-hearted, but we are not broken. We are alive! We are together! We are determined to not let anyone divide us.

We are determined to love one another and to support each other.

This evil ideology of white supremacy did not strike us first, yet it has struck us hardest.

The number of people killed is not ordinary but the solidarity in New Zealand is extraordinary.

To the families of the victims, your loved ones did not die in vain. Their blood has watered the seeds of hope.

Through them, the world will see the beauty of Islam and the beauty of our unity.

[prayer interlude]

Do not say of those who have been killed in the way of Allah that they are dead.

They are alive! Rejoicing with their Lord.

They were the best of us, taken from us on the best of days, in the best of places, and performing the best of actions.

They are not just martyrs of Islam, but they are martyrs of this nation, New Zealand!

Our loss of you is a gain to New Zealand's unity and strength.

Your departure is an awaking not just for our nation, but for all humanity.

Your martyrdom is a new life for New Zealand and a chance of prosperity for many.

Our assembly here, with all the shades of our diversity, is a testament of our joint humanity.

We are here in our hundreds and thousands unified for one purpose — that hate will be undone and love will redeem us.

We are taught by our prophet, Mohamed, that you can never truly show gratitude to the almighty God without thanking your fellow man.

To the people of New Zealand, thank you.

Thank you!

Thank you for your tears. Thank you for your haka. Thank you for your flowers. Thank you for your love and compassion.

To our Prime Minister, thank you. Thank you for your leadership — it has been a lesson for the world's leaders.

Thank you for holding our families close and honouring us with a simple scarf.

Thank you for your words and tears of compassion. Thank you for being one with us.

Thank you to the New Zealand Government and to all the wonderful people who have shown us that we matter and are not forgotten.

Thank you to our police force and front-line services. You put our lives before your own every day.

Thank you to the neighbours who opened their doors to save us from the killer.

Thank you to those who pulled over their cars to help us.

Thank you to those who brought us food and helped us when we found it difficult to stand.

Thank you, thank you, New Zealand!

Thank you for teaching the world what it means to love and care.

To my brothers and sisters, those who are here today to perform the weekly Friday prayer, thank you for coming together once again.

It is easy to feel lost after the trauma you and I experienced. But the promise of Allah made to us is true.

Give glad news to the patient.

Those, when afflicted, they say to Allah, "We all belong", and to him we shall return.

These are those upon whom God's mercy descends.

Thank you for your strength and your forgiveness.

Thank you for your anger that is restrained and for your mercy that is overflowing.

Thank you for your steadfastness and standing tall when others would fall.

Thank you.

Fiona Wood: 'Life is no brief candle' 10 year Bali Bombings Memorial Service - 2012

12 October 2012, Canberra, Australia

Fiona Wood headed the burns unit at Royal Perth hospital. She and her team of sixty treated 28 victims of the Bali Bombings over that terrible week in 2002. She was Australian of the Year in 2005.

Distinguished Australians; all those Australians who 10 years ago distinguished themselves. All Australians, today is the day to look in to your heart, to look into your heart and find in it, the strength, the love and the human energy.

The strength of resilience, to face such horror, and to keep going, knowing there is a bright future ahead when we’ve seen the future of so many beautiful smiles snuffed away.

The love in their heart, that will offer that hand of friendship and forgiveness, and that energy to make sure that we all work, together, to make Australia a place we are proud of, a place we will share our privilege, we will make sure tomorrow is a better day.

As I look down that tunnel of time to that morning ten years ago when we heard the news, I saw many Australians doing many astonishing things.

From the Sari Club to the Sanglah hospital to tarmac at Denpasar into the Northern Territory’s triage centre that’s gone on to excel themselves year in and year out in this last decade.

To all the burns centres across Australia, to all the health facilities across Australia who stepped up to the plate. To all those Australians who helped people they didn’t even know, but what they did know was that they were in need at that time.

And of course it wasn’t just Australians as we have heard. Helping people was what we did. As a health professional it’s my educational training that puts me in that position of privilege, to help people when their life changes in an instant.

Hanabeth Luke assisting Tom Singer, who later died of his injuries

I felt it was a privilege to help those lives on that day, and I tried very hard with all of my colleagues across the country and count not just those who were suffering, and those injuries, but those around them cause we know only too well the horror of burns, and the horror that that entails and the pain.

And that that’s a drop in the ocean, and its like a pebble that keeps going, and those waves effect all those around, all those that care for that person.

So as I look back through that tunnel of time over 10 years I see some amazing things. I think it’s a very appropriate time for us to stand and thank and respect that loss of energy, but also to celebrate, to care, and to celebrate what we go forward with.

I remember one patient a triathlete, a young woman, whose injuries were beyond comprehension and the first thing she said when she came out of her coma was, ‘I’ll never run will I walk again?

I said you will walk, you will run, you will race.

And in 2008 she beat me in an iron man in Busselton. I only rode the bike, and she did the whole thing. And her bike time was faster than mine. And there wasn’t a dry eye in Busselton that day, as we hugged coming over that finish line.

Two weeks ago as I saw Phil Britten, explaining how getting out of the Sari club was so hard, and the pain of his injuries, but the pain of his recovery, was a mountain that was 10 times higher

I think the window to our world has been opened, and our community has seen and as a result they have helped. I think for me this 10 years is a time to say thank you, thank you to all Australians, all those distinguished Australians who facilitated the response.

All those Australians who distinguished themselves. And did extraordinary things. And all those in the communities, and individuals who went on to share that pain. And to support going forward.

So in the words of George Bernard Shaw, life is no brief candle, it’s a sort of flaming torch we have a hold of for a moment and we want to burn as brightly as possible before we hand it on to the next generation.

I see within those hearts, resilience that is inspirational. Love that is selfless. And an energy that as we work in our field to make sure that the quality of the outcome is worth the pain of survival, I see an energy across Australia, in all sorts of areas.

All you have to do is look for it. And to connect with it, and it will grow. So that we can pass on a history that we are proud of.

An Australia that we are proud of, borne on strength, resilience, love and raw human energy.

Doing the best we can for each other.

Henry Dow: 'I am Lou, you are going to be okay', Bourke Street attack memorial - 2017

24 January 2017, Federation Square, Melbourne, Australia

Mr Dow was on the scene and a first respondent at a city mall tragedy where a disturbed motorist drove at speed through Bourke Street Mall, killing at least five people and hospitalising 37. He told the story of a taxi driver named Lou. This was originallly a facebook post, but read Mr Dow read it at the memorial service.

This moment already feels surreal; without the sounds of violence, rush of adrenaline and smell of fear the photo doesn't look real. The images playing in my head are more vivid and more colourful. This image looks so orderly; no rushing, no shaking hand and quivering voice, no screams, crashes or bangs.
I write this not for sympathy (I'm fine); I just wanted to share a story that otherwise might be lost.
Administering first aid with me, under that skinny little tree, is a man named Lou: he is everything great and courageous you have seen, heard or read, rolled into one authentically humble bloke.
Having seen the car fly past, my legs carried me across the street almost on auto-pilot, swearing under my breath repeatedly as it sunk in what had just happened. Some basic Surf Life Saving training got me through the first stages of helping this poor woman: role her on her side, support her neck, we talked kindly and as calmly as we could to her.
Then the gunshots.
Holding her head, my hand was, for want of a better word, shaking. It was more like bouncing, moving several inches up and down as the fear and thoughts of what had happened, what could happen, raced through my head.
Lou grabbed my hand and firmly told me to keep it together, that I was ok and that we needed to keep strong for this woman.
In a level and loud voice, Lou barked orders at other pedestrians standing by, having not fled, but still too stunned to think or move.
He directed assistance to several of the victims laying on the pavement around us, all whilst keeping me calm and speaking lovingly to this woman: "I am Lou, you are going to be ok, we are looking after you".
It kept going through my head, "thank f**k I lucked out and have an emergency services veteran here with me". Surely Lou was Ambulance, Police or SAS. Lou was not.
Lou, in his white shirt and neat dark tie, was a taxi driver.
In our small story, of this much bigger tragedy, Lou took command and was a genuine hero.
We have all seen images and opinions flood the media over the past 24 hours. If you feel like shaking your head and feeling sad for the state of humanity, I implore you: Don't.
Their was no evil on Bourke street yesterday; one sick young man did a terrible thing, and hundreds responded with the love and sense of community that makes Melbourne such a beautiful city, and Victoria such a great State.
There was only kindness in the voices of the police who came to relieve us.
I felt only love when an older man hugged me, having just told a father he had lost a daughter.
Many images and sounds will stay with me much longer than I might like, but I am glad to have seen, and hope I never forget, just how brave and loving strangers can be.
Daniel Andrews our capital city owes a great debt of gratitude to Lou for what he did yesterday.

I love this city.