New Zealand Muslim leaders conveyed messages of love, compassion and appreciation for the support they received after the Christchurch terrorist attack.
Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand president Mustafa Farouk said the community was in shock and mourning.
"We know we are living in a country that we are welcome, that loves us. One of the most beautiful and most peaceful countries in the world," he said.
Australian citizen Brenton Tarrant was on Friday charged with murder over the massacre that killed 50 people at two Christchurch mosques. He is due back in court on April 5.
Farouk said the message for those who peddled hatred was that they had "failed woefully".
"Because what they have done, if anything, is to increase the love and the feeling we have for our own country and we have also seen the tremendous outpouring of love, what we call aroha here in New Zealand," he said.
Tens of thousands of people attended memorial vigils around New Zealand since Friday's attack, and a victim support website raised more than NZ$5.5 million ($A5.3 million). Hundreds have visited the sites of the shootings.
Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand women's affairs coordinator Rehanna Ali described the process of preparing the bodies for burial.
"These people died in prayer, on their way to prayer, on our holy day, a Friday, in the precincts of our holy places. And faith was what they died for. And so faith is now part of the healing process for their loved ones," she said.
"Through all of this we try to remember that what we are bringing back to this tragedy, this horror, is a sense of compassion," Ali said.
"The response to so much hate, has been love," she said.
