New Zealand will hold memorial service on Friday for victims of last week's terror attacks on Muslim worshipers, country's premier said on Wednesday.
Paying a second visit to Christchurch city after March 15 deadly terror attacks targeting two mosques, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that two-minutes silence will be held as a gesture of respect for the victims of shooting at Al Noor and Linwood mosques.
According to the local daily New Zealand Herald, two-minutes silence will be observed over the usual one minute "because of the magnitude of the tragedy".
"While it will be in Christchurch we want to involve the rest of New Zealand. There is a desire to show support to the Muslim community as they return to mosques, particularly on Friday," the state broadcaster Radio NZ quoted Ardern as saying.
The local media will stream the memorial service live, Radio NZ and TVNZ will also play Adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, it noted.
Ardern stressed the need to wrap all the support around the Muslim community in New Zealand, saying: "What I've heard from the Muslim community [is] the rejection of extremism, violence, and hate, no matter where it comes from."
She also said that the Muslim community is demonstrating utter compassion for one another and expressing gratitude for the support of New Zealanders.
"Their response has been overwhelming that what they seek is justice … but overwhelming they keep reflecting back to me the sense of support they have had from the New Zealand community," she added.
Ardern also encouraged women in the country to wear headscarves when attending the moment of silence to show their support for the Muslim community.
"New Zealand was not free of white supremacist groups and ultra-right wing extremist groups", she underlined, adding that regulations for gun control will be discussed at the parliament this week.
New Zealand's premier, who called Friday's terror attack "a global issue", urged "a united front" on it.
"This is not just an issue for New Zealand, the fact that social media platforms have been used to spread violence [and] material that incites violence. All of us need to present a united front," she said.
At least 50 Muslims were killed on March 15 when a terrorist opened fire on worshipers during weekly Friday prayers at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The gunman streamed the massacre for 17 minutes on his social media platform.
Brenton Harrison Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian, is being charged for the massacre.
