OPINION: Imagine your husband, your son, daughter, wife, mother, dad went off for Friday prayers at the mosque last week only to be gunned down and killed.
For the most futile of reasons by a pathetic fool who lives in a cloud of delusional thought that few people sign up to.
Imagine that happened to you, and five days later you finally get your loved one back.
It's not how you wanted them back - they're not alive, but now it's time to bury them. Imagine getting your teenage boy back dead, or your little boy who had been so full of life, fun, laughter and innocence. How dare a monster rob him of a future for such a futile cause, it is, in fact, no cause.
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To the Muslim community, I can't stop thinking about your grief. Love for our families doesn't know just one religion, it doesn't discriminate, and it is universal.
Your love is like our love, your aspirations and hopes and dreams are no different to ours.
I look around New Zealand and I see sad faces and quiet reflection.
We are all grieving this attack on you, this attack on us - this attack on us as New Zealanders.
So standby today for the raw emotion, for the absolute grief, for the very real pain as the bodies of the 50 killed in the attacks are handed back to their families who have waited patiently.
Now they families have every right to be angry, the anger has been simmering.
You are totally entitled to let off steam because you're simmering anger is justified.
I can't imagine what or how I would react if someone took my boy's life or my girl's life in such a cold, calculated way.
Now custom is that Muslims are buried within 24 hours of death but this hasn't happened.
It's a crime scene, too, so your patience has been noted.
We are trying our best, I think, and walk with you on this awful nightmare.
Duncan Garner is host of The AM Show.
