The 30-year suppression of evidence and submissions from the inquiry into the March 15 terrorist attack sets an unwelcome precedent, writes former race relations commissioner Joris de Bres. The final act of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Terrorist Attack on Christchurch Mosques was to suppress for 30 years all the evidence it received … Read more
The weakness of the Royal Commission report is that it treats Islamist extremist terrorism and extreme right white nationalist terrorism as different categories, when in fact they are part of the same problem, argues former Green MP Keith Locke. Much of the commentary on the Royal Commission report into the Christchurch terrorist attacks falls short … Read more
The shadow minister for multicultural affairs has made a statement to the Australian parliament calling for reflection and action on the Christchurch mosque attack. Andrew Giles, the opposition spokesperson for multicultural affairs in Australia, has called on his compatriots to take heed of the Royal Commission into the Christchurch mosque terror attack that was released … Read more
The prime minister’s speech in response to the publication of the Royal Commission inquiry report. The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Terror Attack in Christchurch on March 15 has delivered a comprehensive report that will form the basis of a significant work programme to make New Zealand a safer and ultimately I hope, a … Read more
The Royal Commission into the Christchurch attack has made 44 recommendations, including a sweeping overhaul and expansion of New Zealand’s national security state. Justin Giovannetti reports from parliament. New Zealand’s security services knew almost nothing about the the terrorist’s intentions before the Christchurch attack and could have done very little to stop him, the long-awaited … Read more
The inquiry is of real value, but predetermined terms of reference, a lack of transparency and an inherent conflict of interest limits its potential to deliver the scrutiny and change Aotearoa needs, writes Anjum Rahman, a member of the Commission’s Muslim Community Reference Group. The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Terrorist Attacks on Christchurch … Read more
The Social Dilemma includes a clip from the shooter’s live-streamed Facebook video showing him preparing to enter one of the Christchurch mosques. A warning has been added to a new Netflix documentary-drama for featuring a banned excerpt from the video filmed by the Christchurch terrorist. The Social Dilemma, which explores the rise of social media … Read more
Super Rugby team the Crusaders has decided to retain its name, despite it invoking a history of violence towards Muslims. The decision made researcher Luke Fitzmaurice angry, so he emailed the CEO of the Crusaders to tell him. To his surprise, he replied. In June 2019, the Crusaders rugby team announced a comprehensive review of … Read more
In the aftermath of the 2019 Christchurch terror attacks, Guled Mire found himself a reluctant spokesperson for the New Zealand Muslim community. His experiences in the year that followed are the subject of new Loading Docs documentary short One Year On. Even as we approach a year and a half since that day, I struggle … Read more
Justice Mander has in the Christchurch High Court delivered a sentence without precedent in New Zealand, life without parole, to the Christchurch mosque terrorist who killed 51 people at worship in March 2019. He paid tribute at length to the victims, the survivors, their families and the community more widely. Below, his remarks on reaching … Read more
Let us hope the sentence of life without parole handed down today allows the victims and their families to breathe a little easier. Their courage should inspire us to rise to the challenge that faces us now, writes Abbas Nazari. March 15, 2019 is a day I’ll remember forever. I remember reading about how our … Read more
The victims and families of those who died in the Christchurch mosque shootings tell their stories. Compiled by Tim Brown for RNZ. Warning: This story includes eye-witness accounts of the March 15 Christchurch mosque shootings. On March 15 2019, evil entered two mosques in Christchurch and in just 15 minutes, 51 people lay dead or dying. … Read more
Michael Steedman and Hirini Kaa on the layers of pain behind a new memorial on University of Auckland grounds – but also of hope, from Auckland to Christchurch to Parihaka, Our University of Auckland community gathered early in the morning for the unveiling of a memorial. Following Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei tikanga we gathered before light … Read more
Since March 15 2019, a string of lone actor, far-right copycat atrocities provide important clues to the kind of transnational, online movement we now confront, writes Emanuel Stoakes. Before storming the Al Noor Mosque, the would-be killer dressed in military fatigues, attempted a livestream and signalled his intent on an image board popular with communities … Read more
The Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand said it repeatedly warned the government an attack like that on March 15 last year was possible. Today, it released the evidence. Within days of the March 15 mosque attacks, while the names of the dead were still being recorded, Anjum Rahman of the Islamic Women’s Council of … Read more
The Auckland that Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman found herself in as a nine-year-old was starkly Pākehā – to the point that she assumed Māori must be refugees, too. Ghahraman’s memoir, Know Your Place, is out this week and opens with a tense recounting of her family’s flight from Iran in 1990. Parts of this … Read more
Regulation of online content has received little attention amid a global health crisis. But violent extremist activity has not stopped, and we need to get our response right, writes Anjum Rahman. Today marks the first anniversary of the Christchurch Call, a response to the mass murder at two Christchurch mosques last year, a massacre livestreamed … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Questions over how environmentally friendly Covid-19 recovery will be, consistent daily updates of new cases, and repatriation flights from India organised. There has been an increasing amount of commentary about the state of the environment during and after the pandemic. Air quality in cities has improved dramatically, … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Covid case numbers rise again, modelling shows the toll taking no action could have had, and warnings of logistical crunch at ports. As the number of cases of Covid-19 rises into the hundreds, clusters are starting to emerge. There are now 283 cases, with seven people … Read more
This morning the Christchurch shooter changed tack and entered a guilty plea to 51 counts of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one under the Terrorism Suppression Act. We can now call him what he is: a terrorist. But there are questions that still need to be addressed, writes Anjum Rahman. I’ve just received the … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: New travel restrictions make Covid-19 recession all but certain, further cases of the virus confirmed, and March 15 commemoration called off. Major new travel restrictions were announced over the weekend, making a recession this year all but certain to happen. Toby Manhire has put together the essential … Read more
Dr Hamimah Tuyan, the widow of Zekeriya Tuyan, the 51st victim of the Christchurch mosque attacks, was to speak at the remembrance service in Christchurch today. This is what she was planning to say. Kia ora. Peace be upon you. Assalamu alaikum. Last March the world witnessed a phenomenal show of your solidarity. You defied … Read more
We don’t need an anniversary to pray for those who died, to honour the suffering of those who survived. But are we ready to face the complexity of the changes that are needed? An essay by Anjum Rahman. Anniversaries are a difficult thing. Muslim beliefs around death are quite different. No grave stones or other … Read more
In recent weeks, Christchurch-based Muslims have contributed to the One Year On project, telling their stories in their own words. Here we share a selection. Siham Alsalfiti: ‘Love makes you happy, hatred burns you‘ We were hurt, badly hurt. It’s still incomprehensible, it’s still very difficult that we lost Abdul who was a caring dad, … Read more
With the exception of arrivals from the Pacific islands, those coming from every country in the world will be required to self-isolate for a fortnight. It follows the cancellation of the remembrance service scheduled for tomorrow in Christchurch and confirmation of a sixth positive Covid-19 case in New Zealand, a man who had been in … Read more
A new poem by Mohamed Hassan. The Guest House In this house we have one rule: bring only what you want to … Read more
She had a modest message about peace and solidarity to share, and then it was confiscated from her. Something perturbing happened to my friend at the cricket. It was, on the face of it, a minor act of censorship that went unnoticed by most. It might have been something and it might have been nothing. … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Covid-19 officially declared to be a pandemic, abortion clinic Safe Zones stripped from legislation, and Hauraki Gulf under extreme biodiversity pressure. Overnight, the World Health Organisation officially declared that the Covid-19 outbreak has become a pandemic, reports AP News. That’s a term defined as a disease spreading … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Threats made against Al-Noor mosque worshippers, two more being checked for possible coronavirus, and PM criticises but doesn’t sanction Shane Jones. Almost a year after the disgusting terror attack of March 15, a new threat has been made against worshippers at the Al-Noor mosque in … Read more