23/12/2020 The scenes are so raw and the emotions so powerful that the words are better felt than explained. Photo credit: Getty
Massey University s quote of the year has been awarded to the daughter of a man slain in the Christchurch terror attack.
Sara Qasem s father, Abdelfattah Qasem, was killed at Al Noor Mosque. Her defiant statement to the terrorist during his sentencing, let it be known, these tears are not for you , received more than a quarter of the vote in the competition.
Qasem was recalling the smell of her father s cologne as her eyes welled with tears.
In a statement, she said she was stunned her quote won the competition and was honoured her words had a lasting effect for people to sympathise and resonate.
Sara Qasem with her father Abdelfattah Qasem.
Sara Qasem’s defiant statement to the Christchurch terrorist who murdered her father has won Massey University’s 2020 Quote of the Year.
The winning line, “Let it be known these tears are not for you”, was said by Ms Qasem at the sentencing of the mass killer in the Christchurch High Court in August. She was referring to her grief for her father, Abdelfattah Qasem, who was killed at the Al Noor mosque. Ms Qasem told the terrorist to remember her father’s name.
The top quote is decided by public vote, with Ms Qasem’s line attracting 26.5 per cent of the 2479 votes cast.
The year 2020 will likely be remembered as the Year of the Pandemic. Life for many Americans, including many of at the Redstone Test Center, changed drastically both at work and at home due to COVID-19.
Masks, hand sanitizer and telework became routine as our workforce moved to safely and effectively adjust to the pandemic. The employees of Redstone Test Center executed these precautions while making 2020 one of RTCâs busiest and most productive years yet with more than a million direct labor hours conducting test and evaluation in support of our warfighters.
In support of the Future Vertical Lift Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft program, RTC experimental test pilots conducted flights of the Bell V-280 Valor in August. The flights are part of the Test and Evaluation Command preparations for the FLRAA test effort, a key element of Army nmodernization.
Judith Collins and Jacinda Ardern.
Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
Finalists this year includes National leader Judith Collins, for her election campaign trail quip: When my eyebrow goes up, it s a joke.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is also up for the award, for her I did a little dance , reaction to the news New Zealand had zero active cases of Covid-19.
But the most popular entry submitted by New Zealanders which made it on the list was, You re on mute - a popular refrain during Zoom calls.
Sara Qasem is also up for the award for when she looked at the Christchurch mosque gunman during his sentencing, and said: Let it be known these tears are not for you.
12/12/2020 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is also up for the award. Photo credit: Getty.
Finalists this year includes National leader Judith Collins, for her election campaign trail quip: When my eyebrow goes up, it s a joke.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is also up for the award, for her I did a little dance , reaction to the news New Zealand had zero active cases of Covid-19.
But the most popular entry submitted by New Zealanders which made it on the list was, You re on mute - a popular refrain during Zoom calls.
Sara Qasem is also up for the award for when she looked at the Christchurch mosque gunman during his sentencing, and said: Let it be known these tears are not for you.