The refugee community in New Zealand is devastated at the death of Hashem Slaimankhel in a terror attack in Afghanistan. The Auckland father was on a visit to Kabul and was among the more than 100 people killed when a suicide bomber drove an ambulance laden with explosives past a police checkpoint in to a secure zone. The explosives were detonated in an area that was home to government offices and foreign embassies. Two hundred and thirty-five people were injured in the attack. Mr Slaimankhel moved to New Zealand in the early 1990s as a refugee and worked in refugee resettlement for the Auckland District Health Board. He was an elder member of Auckland's Muslim community. His long-time friend and colleague at the Refugee Council, Dr Arif Said says he was a tireless worker for the community. Firoz Patel is the secretary of the Ponsonby Mosque which Mr Slaimankhel Slay-maan-kel joined when he first arrived in New Zealand. Mr Patel talks to Susie Ferguson about the loss of Mr Slaimankhel.
29 Jan 2018
