New Zealand shooting: Jacinda Ardern praised for vowing to never say gunman’s name

As New Zealand continues to recover from the Christchurch mosque shootings that killed 50, prime minister Jacinda Ardern has vowed never to say the name of the gunman.

In an emotional speech to New Zealand's parliament just four days after the attack, Ardern outlined some of the stories of bravery in the wake of the shootings.

She then said:

I implore you: Speak the names of those who were lost, rather than the name of the man who took them.

He may have sought notoriety, but we in New Zealand will give him nothing, not even his name.

Ardern opened and closed her speech in Arabic, saying:

Al salam Alaikum. Peace be upon you. And peace be upon all of us

Many people have praised Ardern for her decision never to say the name of the gunman.

This is a message that campaign groups for the the victims of mass shootings – like No Notoriety – have promoted for many years.

Many have said that Ardern is showing the world what real leadership is.

Ardern has also been lauded for her handling of the shootings more generally, in particular the empathy she has shown towards New Zealand's Muslim community.

She has also promised to reform the country's gun laws within the next ten days.

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