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I have felt that I should write something about the events of March 15th here in Christchurch, but I've struggled to think what to write that actually adds anything that people don't already know. I can make a couple of comments on things a few politicians have said. Mayor Lianne Dalziel came out saying that in her years in politics in Christchurch (a Labour member of Parliament for working class Christchurch East for 23 years, Cabinet Minister from 2002-2008, followed by mayor since 2013), she had never been aware of far right political activity in Christchurch. Anyone who has the slightest political awareness in Christchurch knows that this city has been a key centre of organising for the far right in New Zealand. This is not to suggest that the far right is strong, it hasn't been and the perpetrator has turned out to be from Australia, but the dishonesty of claiming Christchurch to have been free of white supremacist politics was quite brazen. Jacinda Ardern, current Prime Minister at the head of a Labour-led coalition government, has said all the right things - that "we" aren't intolerant, blah blah". But she hasn't pointed out that New Zealand has had troops continuously deployed in the Middle East since 1954. There have been NZ combat troops in Afghanistan since 2001 and she's re-extended the deployment. They were recently found to have committed an atrocity against a group of villagers, but oh, the "inquiry" found that it was one rogue soldier who's since left the military. When our army are fighting Muslims (jihadis, insurgents, terrorists), 'protecting' Israel from Muslims, doing reconstruction work for Muslims who are seen as incapable of helping themselves, it's hardly surprising that Islamophobia, the acceptable racism for our time, has taken root in New Zealand. The vast bulk of New Zealanders have, I believe, been genuine in their shock and their goodwill. But it's no thanks to Ardern or Dalziel, and Muslims here, both refugee and New Zealand born, have reported harassment in the time they've lived here. Even when it was very clear that this was an Islamophobic attack on a mosque, some of my students (15 year olds) thought this was an Islamist attack - it just fitted their paradigm. John Edmundson -- The law locks up the man or woman Who steals the goose from off the common But leaves the greater villain loose Who steals the common from the goose _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: https://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
