“Ardern’s performance has been extraordinary — and I believe she will be strongly lauded for it both domestically and internationally,” political commentator Bryce Edwards told Reuters.
Ardern didn’t need more reason to be celebrated by the world: The 37-year-old has been seen as an antidote to Donald Trump; Vogue magazine ran a glamorous photo spread of her; and Sheryl Sandberg has described her as a “political prodigy." The sentiment only grew when she announced she was pregnant, became the second world leader to have a baby in office, and the world cooed when she took her 3-month-old daughter to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. A term was coined to describe the phenomenon: “Jacindamania.”
But last week’s tragedy has led Ardern to prove her leadership skills in a different way.
Ardern’s response to the attacks
When she went to Christchurch on Saturday, a day after the attacks, Ardern visited members of the refugee and Muslim community. Dressed in black and wearing a Muslim-style headscarf known as a hijab, she tearfully told them that the whole country was “united in grief.”
Wearing hijab was “a sign of respect,” wrote Negar Mortazavi, an Iranian American journalist and commentator.
Strong leadership: New Zealand Prime Minister @jacindaardern visits grieving Muslim families, wearing hijab as a sign of respect.
— Negar Mortazavi (@NegarMortazavi) March 16, 2019
She tells them: You are us. pic.twitter.com/rhglbJyZ36
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 financial assistance to the families, as well as her swift action on gun control. Her government will introduce gun measures in Parliament next week.
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.”
When @JacindaArdern came to City Hall last year, we talked passionately about the importance of inclusivity and equality in society.
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) March 16, 2019
Acts like this shock to the core our open and diverse countries and I know Londoners stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Christchurch. pic.twitter.com/QVytpcxBoQ
Adil Ray, a British actor and TV presenter, said he was “really impressed” with Ardern for her “swift, strong leadership.”
Really impressed by New Zealand PM @jacindaardern - this is such a powerful image to send out. Meeting members of the Muslim community and already talking of changing gun laws too. Swift, strong leadership. We stand together. pic.twitter.com/9jYHyghGOa
— Adil Ray OBE (@adilray) March 16, 2019
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 and solidarity. How thirsty we have become for justice and mercy in state administration,” Islam wrote.
Yeni Zelanda Başbakanı.
— cihangir islam (@cihangirislam) March 17, 2019
Acılı müslümanlara:
“Siz, bizlersiniz!” diyor.
Taziyeye gittiği evde sembolik olarak başını örtüyor; saygısının ve dayanışmanın altını kalınca çiziyor.
Devlet yönetiminde adalet ve merhamete ne kadar susamışız.
Teşekkürler @jacindaardern https://t.co/uoBckmBlxL
Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a professor of political science in Dubai, said she was “stoic and firm.”
تحية تقدير لجاسيندا أرديرن، رئيسة وزراء نيوزيلندا لمواقفها الرزينة والصارمة تجاه الهجوم الارهابي على المسجدين. pic.twitter.com/cLMuKmeE1Q
— Abdulkhaleq Abdulla (@Abdulkhaleq_UAE) March 18, 2019
A video showing Ardern hugging a Muslim woman and consoling her caused a similar reaction.
“Can you imagine having a leader of a country showing this kind of empathy? Thank you, Jacinda Ardern, for reminding the world what a Leader is and could be,” London literary agent Jonny Geller wrote in a post that has garnered 58,000 likes.
The power of a photograph
The fact that a world leader covered her hair to meet Muslims quickly became a symbol of Ardern’s approach.
One particular photo captured the public imagination. It is a photo of Ardern, listening intently with an agonized look on her face and her hands clasped together. It has been shared widely on social networks, lauded as a portrait of a compassionate leader.
The photo was taken by Kirk Hargreaves, who used to be a photographer for the Christchurch newspaper the Press but now works for the Christchurch City Council. It was shared on the council’s Twitter page.
Mayor @LianneDalziel and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern have met with members of the Muslim community this afternoon to offer their support.
— ChCh City Council (@ChristchurchCC) March 16, 2019
They have also met with families of those killed in Friday’s mosque shootings.
Read more: https://t.co/QUwXxUQQtr pic.twitter.com/VberzPIT8h
“The moment I saw her face pop up, and what was happening with the flowers, I fully knew [it was important]. 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 colours of Hindu religion. It's a universal picture,” Hargreaves told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Faiza Ali, a community organizer in New York, tweeted the photo, calling Ardern a “remarkable leader.”
Among the many faces & stories I’ll remember from the #ChristChurchMosque tragedy, I will never forget Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. What a remarkable leader. Not only did she ban assault weapons following the incident, she’s offered financial assistance to the victims familes. pic.twitter.com/LT7cCqjPhK
— Faiza N. Ali (@faiza_n_ali) March 17, 2019
The Crisis Magazine, the official publication of the NAACP, also tweeted the photo, saying Ardern showed “Dignity. Grace. Courage.”
Dignity. Grace. Courage.
— The Crisis Magazine (@thecrisismag) March 17, 2019
New Zealand’s PM Jacinda Ardern mourns at a vigil in a full hijab; she promised to cover all funeral expenses and take care of all the victim's families going forward. This after announcing NZ would ban assault rifles. Real leaders do exist#Christchurch pic.twitter.com/BtJe2yNR2P
Kareem Fahim and Zeynep Karatas in Istanbul contributed to this report.