On Tuesday afternoon, a group of Year 12 students studying world religions had the privilege of Farid Ahmed come to St Bede’s to speak to them.

Farid is a revered public speaker who is a survivor of the mosque shooting. His wife, Husna, was killed in the attack, after guiding women and children to safety, running back into the Al Noor Mosque to help her husband, who uses a wheelchair. 

In the aftermath of this horrific event, Farid has been an advocate for peace and forgiveness, working with people of other faiths to promote interreligious dialogue.

In his discussion with the class, Farid overviewed the core beliefs of Islam, continuously making links to Christianity. He also presented Muslim views on life after death, which was of particular interest to the students, as in the upcoming weeks they will be comparing and contrasting the beliefs in life after death of Christians and Muslims.

At the end of his speech, Farid gifted the school library a copy of his book ‘Husna’s Story. My wife, the Christchurch massacre & my journey to forgiveness’. Inside the cover of the book, he has written the message ‘knowledge is power’.

We would like to thank Farid for taking the time to speak to our boys. Opportunities like this helps to break down barriers and highlights the importance of dialogue with those of different faiths. We look forward to having him return in the future.