Category Archives: New Zealand

New Zealand Muslims slam ‘conference of bigots’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Mosques and MiraclesA conference of Christian church leaders on the “threat” of Islam to New Zealand is being condemned as a “conference of bigots” by senior New Zealand Muslims.

The organiser of the Mosque and Miracles conferences, national director of Middle East Christian Outreach Murray Dillner, said the conference would address the threat posed by Islam to New Zealand society – a threat he likened to the terrorist attacks in the United States of September 11, 2001.

“It’s an underlying threat, but it’s like the twin towers – they imploded. Islam does the same thing to a society – it makes it implode,” he said. “The mindset of Islam is to take over the world. They will do that by any means they can. The church in England ignored Islam. If the church in New Zealand doesn’t rise up, we will be in the same situation.”

Federation of Islamic Associations president Javed Khan said it was a “conference of bigots”. “It’s fearmongering; Islamophobia. The organisers are prejudiced, biased bigots,” he said. “For heaven’s sake, we are less than 1 per cent of the population. Muslims have been in New Zealand for a century. No Muslim has ever done anything like what they are afraid of.”

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Conferences to look at ‘threat’ of Islam in New Zealand

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The time is ripe for the Church to face up to the threat of Islam in our country, to understand Islam’s agenda and to respond with the love of Christ, says Middle East Overseas Outreach New Zealand director Murray Dillner.

That organisation, Open Doors NZ, Interserve and Asian Outreach are combining to host Mosque and Miracles conferences for the first time in New Zealand. They will be held in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland in July, and are endorsed by Vision Network and Missions Interlink.

“Those who work with Muslims estimate there are about 40,000 of them here,” said Mr Dillner. “The politicians estimate about 20,000 but others believe there are many more. Islam is having an impact.”

Mr Dillner said he has become very aware that time is short before the pressure of ideologies such as radical Islam will “take away the freedoms we have in New Zealand and we will no longer have freedom of speech”.

“The politicians will tell you Islam is a peaceful religion, but any former Muslim will tell you otherwise,” he said. “Wherever in the world Muslims have taken over, democracy no longer exists.”

Mr Dillner said many Muslims came to New Zealand to find a better life, but many others came with a “missionary zeal” to take over the country. Muslims may in future, for example, promote the idea of instituting the call to Islamic prayer in their neighbourhoods.

In many freezing works halal killing had become standard and a group of South Island farmers was considering starting up their own freezing works to avoid that religious practice. “They are saying, ‘Why should New Zealanders bow to Islam?’ Islam has an agenda which is subtle and behind the scenes.”

Challenge Weekly, 19 March 2007

New Zealand MP tells Muslims to unveil

Posted on by Bob Pitt

bob clarksonNational MP Bob Clarkson’s mouth has landed him in trouble again after he said “Islam religion-type people” who wore burqas could be crooks hiding guns.

The Tauranga MP, who is known to shoot from the lip, said Muslim women should not wear the full-body veils if they wanted to “fit into our country”.

“Even walking down the street, to a certain extent, how do we know there’s not a crook with a gun hiding under a burqa? Who’s under that gown?” he said.

He was tolerant of all religions, but Muslims who wore burqas because of deeply held beliefs should “go back to Islam or Iraq”.

The comments, made days after a major diversity forum in Wellington, brought an angry reaction from Federation of Islamic Associations president Javed Khan.

Khan said: “If he is tolerant of all types of religion, why is he picking on Muslims wearing scarves and burqas? Would he have any problems with nuns wearing the same type of clothes, head covers and long skirts? Would he have problems with the Sikhs wearing turbans? When he says that people should fit into the country, what does that mean? That they should go in their bikinis?”

Stuff, 26 August 2006

Islamophobia in New Zealand

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The election of Aysser Aljanabi, a young Muslim woman, as head girl of St Mary’s College, a Catholic high school in Wellington, has provoked a hostile response in some quarters. “Given what’s going on internationally I can understand some people’s reaction”, Catholic Education Office chief executive Pat Lynch was quoted as saying.

To Patiently Explain, 15 February 2006

Cartoons provocation reaches New Zealand

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A contact in New Zealand writes: “The cartoons have been splashed across Wellington’s Dominion Post newspaper today. On the front page is an article taking Muslims to task and calling their response ‘a test of Islamic tolerance’. The entire front page of the ‘B’ world news section is taken up with the cartoons and an article written, unusually, by a Dominion Post reporter, Hank Schouten (who usually writes defence stories), rather than the usual agency reports.”

Muslim convert rejects radical label

Posted on by Bob Pitt

British Muslim, Abdur Raheem Green, has been blocked from coming to Australia. Mr Green attempted to board a plane from Sri Lanka to Wellington on Monday. The plane was due to make a one-hour stop in Brisbane en route. “I was told I could not board because the plane had to stop in Australia,” Mr Green told The Australian.

A man described by some Australian media as one of Britain’s most radical Muslim converts starts a speaking tour today for New Zealand Islamic Awareness Week. Abdur Raheem Green, who rejects the radical label, had been due to speak at the Auckland University of Technology on Monday but the public lecture was cancelled because he had to change his flight plans when he was refused entry to Brisbane for a one-hour stopover. Mr Green said he was told when checking in at Sri Lanka about three days ago that he could not land in Brisbane but was given no reason by the Australian High Commission.

New Zealand Herald, 9 August 2005

See also ABC News, 11 August 2005

The ban followed a right-wing campaign against Abdur Raheem Green, aimed at depicting him as a violent extremist.

Media blamed for Islam’s image

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The misperception of Islam that led to the attacks on six Auckland mosques two weeks ago was fuelled by negative media portrayal of the faith, Auckland’s Muslim community says.

Last night at Ponsonby Mosque, Government and police officials re-iterated their support for New Zealand’s Muslim community in the wake of the mosque attacks on on July 10. The acts were an apparent backlash for the bombings in London three days earlier.

Ethnic Affairs Minister Chris Carter, Labour MP Ashraf Choudhary and Police Commissioner Rob Robinson joined other officials to hear the concerns of about 50 leaders and members of Auckland’s Muslim community.

The Muslim community was united in thanking the Government for its support and the police for their swift arrest following the attacks. But the loudest applause followed their own comments condemning the mainstream media’s portrayal of Islam.

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Auckland mosques attacked

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Ponsonby mosque graffiti

Members of Auckland’s Muslim community are reeling following a string of attacks on their places of worship.

The overnight attacks on mosques in Ponsonby, Mt Roskill, Otahuhu and Ranui saw windows smashed and walls graffittied with the message “R-I-P London”.

Javed Khan of the Federation of Islamic Associations says it is clear the vandalism is a result of the terror attacks in Britain.

He says the mosque in Otahuhu was hit on Thursday night as well, soon after the London bombings, but police did not come around until the following afternoon.

Mr Khan says the New Zealand Islamic community has already condemned the British attacks as despicable.

Farhaz Rehmen was at the Ponsonby mosque when the attack happened. He says he was asleep out the back and he did not even hear it.

He says he is extremely upset about the attacks and he does not understand why people want to take their anger out on the New Zealand Muslim community.

Prime Minister Helen Clark was quick to condemn the attacks.

“New Zealanders across all communities are horrified by the terrorist attacks in London which are the work of evil people,” she said.

“But it is wrong to target the Muslim community here in retaliation. New Zealand’s Muslim community like all New Zealand’s communities is overwhelmingly a law-abiding and peaceful community.

“Times like these call for cool heads and for tolerance. The evil acts of some should not lead to scapegoating of minorities in our communities.”

New Zealand Herald, 10 July 2005

See also “Race Commissioner condemns mosque attacks”, New Zealand Herald, 11 July 2005

And “Editorial: Vandalism a showcase for bigotry”, New Zealand Herald, 11 July 2005

Update:  See “Mosque to install security cameras”, New Zealand Herald, 12 July 2005

Ponsonby mosque vandalism

Mosques attacked by arsonists as Asians fear surge of race hate

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Mosques attacked by arsonists as Asians fear surge of race hate

By Robert Verkaik

Independent, 11 July 2005

The terrorist attacks in London have provoked reprisal attacks on Asians. Police are investigating several incidents, including four arson attacks on mosques, that may have been motivated by revenge.

The arson attacks were carried out in mosques in Leeds, Belvedere, Telford and Birkenhead. Three further attacks were reported on mosques in east London and Bristol. In the attack on the east London mosque, 19 windows were smashed, according to the newspaper The Muslim News.

In Hayes, Middlesex, an Asian woman reported attempted arson after she noticed “liquid dripping down her door and smelt petrol” on the day of the terrorist attacks in London. The same day, five white men were arrested after bottles were thrown at the windows of a Sikh temple in south London. In a separate incident, arson was reported at the home of an Asian family in The Broadway, Southall.

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