(ABC) A top Muslim organization is blasting President Donald Trump after a mass shooting at two mosques in New Zealand left 49 people dead and dozens more injured.
“During your presidency and during your election campaign, Islamophobia took a sharp rise and attacks on innocent Muslims, innocent immigrants and mosques have skyrocketed,” Nihad Awad, the executive director and co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, said at a press conference.
Police in New Zealand say the alleged gunman, described as being in his late 20s, opened fire inside a mosque in Christchurch and that a shooting at a different mosque killed a total of at least 49 worshipers gathered for Friday prayers. Authorities say a lengthy online document, posted after the shooting and linked to the alleged gunman’s video of the shooting, praised other mass shooters, advocated white supremacy and detailed hatred for immigrants.
