NZ Friends of Israel Condemns Christchurch Mosque
Attack
Christchurch, 15 March 2019.
The NZ Friends of
Israel Association strongly condemns the attack on the
Christchurch mosque and the Islamic community.
"Our hearts
go out to all those who have suffered the loss of loved
ones, who have been seriously and even gravely wounded, and
those who experienced such a traumatic nightmare," said the
President of the Society, Tony Kan.
"We hope that a spirit
of forgiveness prevails over any desire for revenge and
hate.
May the people of Christchurch show the world that
even in this, it can respond with grace, compassion and
dignity.
We hope that there will be no ongoing ethnic or
religious conflict arising from this tragedy.
All New
Zealanders should show their repugnance for what has been
done today."
New Zealand Friends of Israel Association Inc
(www.nzfoi.org) was formed nearly fifty
years ago. It fights racial and religious intolerance
through raising awareness of Jewish history and culture.
If you're using Scoop for work, your organisation needs to pay a small license fee with Scoop Pro. We think that's fair, because your organisation is benefiting from using our news resources. In return, we'll also give your team access to pro news tools and keep Scoop free for personal use, because public access to news is important!
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn. Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik... More
Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More
Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More
Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More
Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More