CAIR Attempts to Blame Trump for New Zealand Massacre

By ABC News. A top Muslim organization is blasting President Donald Trump after a mass shooting at two mosques in New Zealand left 49 people dead and dozens more injured.

“During your presidency and during your election campaign, Islamophobia took a sharp rise and attacks on innocent Muslims, innocent immigrants and mosques have skyrocketed,” Nihad Awad the Executive Director and co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, said at a press conference.

Police in New Zealand say the alleged gunman, described as being in his late 20s, opened fire inside a mosque in Christchurch and that a shooting at a different mosque killed a total of at least 49 worshipers gathered for Friday prayers. Authorities say a lengthy online document, posted after the shooting and linked to the alleged gunman’s video of the shooting, praised other mass shooters, advocated white supremacy and detailed hatred for immigrants.

“We hold you responsible for this growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the country and in Europe, but we also do not excuse those terrorist attackers against minorities at home and abroad,” he continued. (Read more from “CAIR Attempts to Blame Trump for New Zealand Massacre” HERE)

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New Zealand Terrorist Attack Suspect Grins in Court

By Al Jazeera. The Australian suspect arrested after dozens of worshippers were gunned down in two mosques appeared unrepentant in court in New Zealand on Saturday, staring down media members with a smirk on his face.

Brenton Tarrant, 28, appeared in a Christchurch District Court and was charged with murder. He was remanded without a plea until his next appearance in the South Island city’s High Court on April 5.

Handcuffed, shoeless, and wearing a white prison suit, Tarrant did not speak. His court-appointed lawyer made no application for bail or name suppression.

He made an “okay” hand gesture during his court appearance, a symbol often used for signalling support for the white supremacist ideology. . .

“He came into court, he didn’t say anything at all. He stood there looking directly at the media in the courtroom and was smirking throughout his appearance,” Thomas reported. (Read more from “New Zealand Terrorist Attack Suspect Grins in Court” HERE)

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