New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern earns
praise at home and abroad
by Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff, 03/21/2019
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hugs a mosque-goer at the Kilbirnie Mosque on March 17, 2019, in Wellington,
New Zealand following shooting attacks on two mosques in Christchurch on 15 March. Photo by: Hagen Hopkins/Getty
Images
1
1
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is the head of the government in the
country of New Zealand.
2
For the first 16 months of her term in office, she was celebrated for being a young, female, progressive
leader.
3
The 37-year-old New Zealand prime minister, together with Justin Trudeau of Canada and France's
Emmanuel Macron, was celebrated in the media as contrasting starkly from U.S. President Donald
Trump. Vogue magazine ran a glamorous photo spread of her. She appeared on "The Late Show With
Stephen Colbert." Sheryl Sandberg, one of Facebook's leaders, spoke of admiring her political skill when
Ardern made Time magazine's list of 100 "Most Influential People."
4
A term was made to describe all the interest in Ardern: "Jacindamania."
5
The feeling only grew when she announced she was going to have a baby. She became only the second
world leader to have a baby in office, after Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto. Jacindamania grew again when
she took her 3-month-old daughter to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
6
At home, however, she has plenty of political trials and tribulations, with her handling of the economy1
criticized and her efforts to introduce more affordable housing plagued by embarrassing mistakes.
Critics said she was all style and no substance.
​economy: ​ the careful management of available wealth and resources of a country or region.
7
Still, these domestic problems didn't dent the perception2 of her abroad as an inspirational leader for the
modern age.
The New Dimension Of Jacindamania
8
Now, Jacindamania has taken on a new and totally different dimension in the last few days following the
mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch that left 50 dead and 40 injured. A mosque is a place of
worship in the religion of Islam, which is the second most widely practiced religion in the world behind
Christianity. Followers of Islam are called Muslims.
9
New Zealand has never experienced this kind of attack before, and it has shaken the country.
10
Many have lauded3 the response by Ardern. She swiftly labeled the attacks "terrorism" and bluntly called
an Australian lawmaker's suggestion that there was a link between Muslim immigration and violence "a
disgrace."
11
"Ardern's performance has been extraordinary," political commentator Bryce Edwards said. "I believe
she will be strongly lauded for it both domestically4 and internationally."
12
When she visited Christchurch on March 16, a day after the attacks, Ardern visited members of the
refugee and Muslim community. Dressed in black and wearing the headscarf, known as a hijab, worn by
some Muslim women, she tearfully told them that the whole country was "united in grief."
13
Wearing the hijab was "a sign of respect," wrote Negar Mortazavi, an Iranian-American journalist and
commentator.
Strong, Empathetic Leadership
14
It was not just her dress that won her more fans abroad. Many people also praised her pledge to cover
the funeral costs of all 50 victims and offer money to help the families, and also her swift action on gun
control. Her government will show lawmakers its plans to change gun laws next week.
15
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, tweeted a photo of Ardern hugging a Muslim woman and noted that,
when in London last year, she had talked about "the importance of inclusivity and equality in society."
16
Adil Ray, a British actor and TV presenter, said he was "really impressed" with Ardern for her "swift,
strong leadership."
17
Cihangir Islam, a Turkish lawmaker from an opposition Islamist party, also praised Ardern. She "says to
Muslims in pain, 'You, you're us!' She symbolically covers her head when she goes to a home for
condolences; she boldly underlines her respect," Islam wrote.
18
Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a professor of political science in Dubai, said Ardern was calm and firm.
19
A video showing Ardern hugging a Muslim woman and consoling her caused a similar reaction.
20
"Can you imagine having a leader of a country showing this kind of empathy? Thank you, Jacinda
​perception: ​a way of understanding or interpreting something; a mental impression
​lauded:​ highly praised or admired
4
​domestically: ​relating to activities inside a particular country; nationally
2
3
Ardern, for reminding the world what a Leader is and could be," London literary agent Jonny Geller
wrote in a post that has gotten 58,000 likes.
21
The fact that a world leader covered her hair to meet Muslims quickly became a symbol of Ardern's
approach.
22
One particular photo captured the public imagination. It is a
photo of Ardern, listening intently with a pained look on her
face and her hands clasped together. It has been shared
widely on social networks, lauded as a portrait of a
compassionate5 leader.
23
The photo was taken by Kirk Hargreaves, who used to be a
photographer for Christchurch newspaper The Press but now
works for the Christchurch City Council. It was shared on the
council's Twitter page.
24
Hargreaves said he knew the photo would be powerful the
moment he saw her face. "It's a religious photo in a way, a
photo of a mix of religious symbolism. It looks like stain
glass, there's the Muslim hijab, and colors of Hindu religion.
It's a universal6 picture," Hargreaves said.
25
"The human empathy and all those amazing human traits
she's showing in the picture, I'm glad people resonated7 with
that," he said.
26
Faiza Ali, a community organizer in Brooklyn, New York,
tweeted the photo, calling Ardern a "remarkable leader."
27
The Crisis Magazine, the official publication of the civil rights organization the NAACP, tweeted the
photo, saying Ardern showed "Dignity. Grace. Courage."
​compassionate:​ feeling or showing sympathy and concern for others.
​universal:​ affecting, or done by, all people or things in the world.
7
​resonated:​ to affect or appeal to someone in a personal or emotional way.
5
6
A photo of Jacinda Ardern taken by Kirk Hargreaves has
been widely shared on social media. Photo: Kirk
Hargreaves/Twitter