Forgiveness is a great virtue

Farid Ahmed was one of the survivors who luckily escaped the recent carnage at Christchurch in New Zealand. He had been physically sick for years and was confined to a wheelchair.

Husne Ara Parvin was a social worker at Chistchurch. As any other Friday before, she took her husband to the mosque around one and a half hours before the attack. Leaving her husband in the male section of the mosque, she went to the female section of the mosque to offer her prayers. After the shooting began, she rushed to take her beloved husband out. She was gun downed by the killer on the spot. Some other people took her husband out of the mosque.

Farid Ahmad, whose wife Husne Ara Parvin was killed in the New Zealand terrorist attack, said in the media that he harbours no hatred towards terrorist killer Brenton Tarrant, insisting forgiveness is the best path forward.

Mr. Ahmed said, "I would like to say to him I love him as a person. I could not accept what he did. What he did was a wrong thing. Of course, the best thing is forgiveness, generosity, loving and caring, positivity." He further mentioned, "I want him to look forward to that positive attitude in him, and I hope and pray for him he would be a great civilian one day. I don't have any grudge." Australian terrorist Brenton Tarrant is yet to enter a plea in the murder charge brought against him so far.

We all know that forgiveness is a great virtue and there is a proverb 'hate the sin, not the sinner'. Farid Ahmed has done an extraordinary job by forgiving Brenton Tarrant. It would be great if those who are planning further attacks on people in any part of the globe learn from this great man and refrain themselves from hurting anyone--mentally and physically.

May Farid Ahmed live long.

Md Zillur Rahaman

Satish Sarker Road,

Gandaria, Dhaka

zrbbbp@gmail.com