New Zealand begins funerals for mosque shooting victims

A Syrian refugee and his son were buried in New Zealand in the first funerals for those killed in the twin mosque shootings as Kiwis braced for days of emotional farewells.

An Australian white supremacist gunman killed 50 Muslim worshippers at two mosques in the southern city of Christchurch last Friday.

Hundreds gathered to mourn, some men wearing a taqiyah (skullcap), others shalwar kameez (long tunic and trousers), while women wore hijabs and scarfs.

The majority of victims were migrants or refugees from countries such as Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. The youngest was a boy of three, born in New Zealand to Somali refugee parents.

The first two victims buried, father and son Khaled and Hamza Mustafa, came from war-torn Syria.

The Mustafa family arrived last year as refugees in New Zealand seeking sanctuary from the civil war in Syria.

Younger brother Zaid, 13, was wounded but survived and attended the funeral in a wheelchair, his hands held aloft as he prayed alongside the rows of mourners.

Also among those in attendance was Abdul Aziz, an Afghan refugee who bravely confronted the gunman at Linwood Mosque. He was hugged by many mourners.

Muslims whose loved ones were killed have had their grief compounded by the delay in the return of bodies to families in time for a speedy burial, as required under Islamic custom.

Only six of the 50 victims have been returned to their families so far.

Authorities say they are doing all they can to speed up autopsies and the formal identification of those killed.

Police commissioner Mike Bush said that the process had been slow because of the need to identify victims conclusively and to avoid hindering the prosecution.

So far 21 victims have been formally identified by the coroners, he added.

"We are doing all we can to undertake this work as quickly as possible and return the victims to their loved ones," police said in a statement.

"While identification may seem straightforward the reality is much more complex, particularly in a situation like this."

Ardern said this coming Friday’s call to prayers for Muslims in New Zealand will be broadcast nationally and there will be a two-minute silence on Friday.

“There is a desire to show support for the Muslim community as they return to mosques on Friday,” she said.