Published : 18-03-2019
Palestinian refugee Amjad Hamid, aged 57, was pronounced dead in Friday's attack on two New Zealand mosques
Hamid had immigrated to New Zealand 23 years ago to find a better future, his wife Hanan said.
Hamid has not been seen since Friday and his family believe the Hawera Hospital doctor is dead.
His wife Hanan said she and her husband emigrated to Christchurch 23 years ago.
"It's terrible ... we were hoping to find a better future for us and for the children we were planning to have."
She described her 57-year-old husband as a "very kind man", but struggled to say more. "It's hard to talk about him."
The elder of the couple's two sons, 22-year-old Husam Hamid, said family had checked hospitals and with police but there had been no sign of his dad since the mass shootings began. Amjad was known to go to the mosque to pray on Fridays.
"At first I thought he went to the Linwood mosque but he was most likely to have been in the Deans Ave mosque as he mostly goes to that one," the son proceeded.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Hamid was a consultant in cardiorespiratory integrated specialist services at Canterbury District Health Board for 20 years, but his son said he had recently taken up a role in cardiology at Hawera Hospital in south Taranaki.
"This is meant to be a safe country. New Zealand is changing forever," said Husam.
Youngest son, Mohammed Hamid, 20, told the Herald he only wanted to say one thing about his father and what had happened: "I just really loved my dad."
Brenton Tarrant, 28, accused of carrying out attacks on two mosques in Christchurch on Friday that resulted in the deaths of at least 50 people, including children, was charged with murder as he appeared in a district court on Saturday.
Tarrant, described by Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison as an "extremist, right-wing, violent terrorist", expressed admiration for other violent white nationalists and his intention to "create an atmosphere of fear" and to "incite violence" against Muslims.
Palestinian refugee Amjad Hamid, aged 57, was pronounced dead in Friday's attack on two New Zealand mosques
Hamid had immigrated to New Zealand 23 years ago to find a better future, his wife Hanan said.
Hamid has not been seen since Friday and his family believe the Hawera Hospital doctor is dead.
His wife Hanan said she and her husband emigrated to Christchurch 23 years ago.
"It's terrible ... we were hoping to find a better future for us and for the children we were planning to have."
She described her 57-year-old husband as a "very kind man", but struggled to say more. "It's hard to talk about him."
The elder of the couple's two sons, 22-year-old Husam Hamid, said family had checked hospitals and with police but there had been no sign of his dad since the mass shootings began. Amjad was known to go to the mosque to pray on Fridays.
"At first I thought he went to the Linwood mosque but he was most likely to have been in the Deans Ave mosque as he mostly goes to that one," the son proceeded.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Hamid was a consultant in cardiorespiratory integrated specialist services at Canterbury District Health Board for 20 years, but his son said he had recently taken up a role in cardiology at Hawera Hospital in south Taranaki.
"This is meant to be a safe country. New Zealand is changing forever," said Husam.
Youngest son, Mohammed Hamid, 20, told the Herald he only wanted to say one thing about his father and what had happened: "I just really loved my dad."
Brenton Tarrant, 28, accused of carrying out attacks on two mosques in Christchurch on Friday that resulted in the deaths of at least 50 people, including children, was charged with murder as he appeared in a district court on Saturday.
Tarrant, described by Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison as an "extremist, right-wing, violent terrorist", expressed admiration for other violent white nationalists and his intention to "create an atmosphere of fear" and to "incite violence" against Muslims.
