The imam of a New Zealand mosque where seven worshipers were slaughtered by a racist gunman says that the massacre hasn’t shattered his community – or its trust in their adopted homeland.

“We still love this country,” said Ibrahim Abdul Halim, who was leading Friday prayers at Linwood Islamic Centre when armed white supremacist Brenton Tarrant burst in. “Extremists would never ever touch our confidence.”

“My children live here,” Halim said Saturday, the day after Tarrant killed 49 people at two Christchurch mosques, and praised New Zealanders for their support.

“They start to … give me big hugs, and give me more solidarity,” he said. “This is something very important.”

Victims included immigrants from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia. Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian, has been charged with murder, and two other suspects remain in custody.

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