Pakistani hero, who tried to overpower terrorist attacker at New Zealand mosque, dies

A Pakistani man, who had immigrated to New Zealand to work as a teacher and identified as Naeem Rashid, died in a hospital from wounds after he heroically tried to overpower Australian a gun-wielding terrorist attacker who killed several worshippers in two Christchurch mosques.

Naeem’s 21-year-old son Talha Naeem also died as the terrorist – 28-year-old Australian Brenton Tarrant – mercilessly mowed down worshippers in Al Noor Mosque during Friday prayers.

Naeem’s brother in Pakistan has confirmed deaths of father and son in the Christchurch massacre – the worst terror attack on New Zealand soil that claimed 49 lives. Before moving to New Zealand, Naeem worked as a banker. His hometown Abbottabad is located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Brenton, a self-described fascist and White supremacist, who espoused hateful ideology, also attacked Linwood Islamic Center in Christchurch.

Naeem tried to snatch the gun from the attacker – described as a right wing violent extremist – and stop him from the shooting rampage.

But as Naeem tried to overpower the gunman he suffered serious injuries and was pronounced dead in a hospital late Friday night.

News accounts and witnesses have confirmed Naeem’s courageous act of heroism in defense of his fellow worshippers.

New Zealand and Australian prime ministers have condemned the attack as terrorism and Police captured terrorist Tarrant, who has been charged with murder.

In Pakistan, people condoled the deaths of father and son and media accounts praised the bravery of the Naeem in the face of terror gun shooting that jolted the Muslim communities in New Zealand and around the world.

In the United States, Council on American-Islamic Relations called for categorical and strong U.S. condemnation of the chilling attack as terrorism.

Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, asked Muslims not to live in fear and go and say their Friday prayers.