‘Together we are stronger’ - information, links, and updates post the Christchurch tragedy

CID vigil outside the Brandon Street Muslim place of prayer on Monday, 18th March.

+ A message from Farid, a member of the CID team

No one believed this terror could happen in a country as peaceful and lovely as New Zealand. Everyone would agree this was not the New Zealand we know. But it happened and it has left deep grief, tears, and sorrow, not only for Kiwi Muslims who became the direct victims of this terror but for all Kiwis across the country and abroad, even to the rest of the world.

However, it’s just amazing to see the wholehearted, massive support from fellow Kiwis and the government. People keep coming to Muslim premises including mosques, prayer places, even houses, to express their deep condolences.  They are bringing flowers, banners and cards with nice words, candles or anything showing their wonderful support to the victims. Vigils are organised everywhere across the country to show togetherness. Love is everywhere. This gives assurance that Aotearoa is still a peaceful home for anyone and will remain the same. New Zealand is still the same and this will even make New Zealand better in the future. Hatred will never win.

Stay strong New Zealand, Kia Kaha Aotearoa.

+ 'Standing together we are strong'

The international NGOs responded with the following statement, printed in full in today's NZ Herald:

"The New Zealand we believe in is one where the hopes of refugees and migrants arriving in any New Zealand community are realised with welcome and safety.

It’s one where our Muslim whānau who have long been part of Aotearoa New Zealand would remain safe.

Above all, safety at prayer.

Let Friday be one of our darkest days, but one that we vow never to let happen again. Let’s not give extremists the power to change who we are for the worse – let this be a chance for us to grow stronger, more committed to what is important to us, and to create every single day the communities that we want to live in.

Among our Muslim whānau are families that have come to New Zealand seeking safety, seeking shelter from persecution and conflict. One family at a time, our volunteers and staff have been learning the stories of escape, and of hope for peace sought by people reaching New Zealand.

The New Zealand chapter of these stories was about neighbours helping neighbours by showing warmth and welcome as, one family at a time, our new whānau were beginning to rebuild their lives. We must continue.

As CEOs from some of New Zealand’s international NGO community organisations, we are united in love for our Muslim community. Many of us will have heard our Prime Minister ask that we show our Muslim whānau love and compassion.

We share faith that in standing together with love and compassion for our neighbours we will defeat hate. We know we must.

We stand for a community and a nation where freedom, justice, hope and love are not negotiable values, but at the heart of who we are.

Together, we make New Zealand what it is: a land of welcome, respect and openness. This demands each of us make this vision real, and that we challenge injustice wherever we see it.

A joint letter by the CEOs of New Zealand’s international NGO community:

Kia kaha Christchurch.

Tony Blackett, Executive Director Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand

Josie Pagani, CEO Council for International Development

Ian McInnes, CEO Tearfund

Julianne Hickey, CEO Caritas New Zealand

Jackie Edmond, CEO Family Planning New Zealand

Vivien Maidaborn, CEO UNICEF New Zealand

Paul Brown, CEO ChildFund New Zealand

Claire Szabo, CEO Habitat for Humanity New Zealand

Grant Bayldon, CEO World Vision New Zealand

Murray Sheard, CEO Christian Blind Mission New Zealand

Katrina Penney, Chair, Médecins Sans Frontières, New Zealand

Livia Esterhazy, CEO WWF New Zealand

Pauline McKay, CEO Christian World Services

Rachael Le Mesurier, CEO Oxfam New Zealand

+ Special edition of CID newsletter 

+ Muslim Voices

Here is a selection of articles written in the last days by the Muslim community:

• For us, life in New Zealand will never be the same - Mosques, places of prayer and communities have always been heavily scrutinised for signs of extremism. But as a Muslim New Zealander, Sahail Din asks the question; what was put in place to protect Muslims from terrorists.
• Kiwi Muslim's words reveal both sides of New Zealand - Muskeet shares his thoughts about the attacks, revealing he has always experienced racism in New Zealand.
• Christchurch mosque terror attacks a dark day of grief, shock and unspeakable heartbreak - Saziah Bashir suggests that we all to be courageous and self-reflect on the fear, judgment and complacency that we internalise, and be brave enough to look at creative and inclusive ways forward.
• New Zealand's Mass Shooting is an Expression of the Violence Muslims Face Around the World - Ahmad Ibsais explains the violence faced by many Muslims across the world, and its extension into the New Zealand attacks, offering solidarity.
• The New Zealand mosques massacre and the denial of Muslim experience - Dr Asim Qurenshi, research director at CAGE, a UK-based advocacy organisations demands that media coverage must center the narrative of the victims, and suggests that there is an inherent danger that intended targets get crowded out of the media within the "performance that we were all equally impacted".

+ There must be a day of reckoning

How did the terrorist threat of white supremacism in New Zealand go under the radar? We have given the SIS and the GCSB the right to read our emails, look at our Facebook posts, and Instagram feeds and much more. 

There will need to be a day of reckoning where we get answers to these questions, writes David Fisher in the NZ Herald.

The PM has announced an inquiry and our two spy agencies have welcomed it.

Dame Anne Salmond states that "white supremacy is a black strand woven through our history as a nation" The ominous signs for Friday's atrocity were everywhere, if only we had listened to New Zealand's Muslim community wrote former race relations commissioner Dame Susan Devoy. While we as a community are rightfully shocked and stunned immediately following the event, in her opinion piece 'Hatred lives in New Zealand' Devoy states that Muslim New Zealanders have prayed that this day would never come. 

Anjum Rahman, the spokesperson for the Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand, states in her article 'We warned you. We begged. We pleaded. And now we demand accountability' that for more than five years, Muslim representatives approached every authority they could. They "knocked on every door we could, we spoke at every possible forum. We pointed to the rise of vitriol and the rise of the alt-right in New Zealand." The Islamic community has increasingly become concerned about increasing pressure on their communities from rising levels of discrimination in New Zealand. The issues they were seeing were too much for their own community to resolve, says Anjum. The solutions needed to be systemic and required investment by government in programmes to increase support to migrants and refugees.

"When people ask what can we do today, the answer is the same as it was yesterday, last year and the year before that: we must never, ever let hatred and racism go unchallenged when we see it in our communities – on a bus, on Facebook, on the street," writes Susan Devoy. Anne Salmond reminds us that New Zealand's history also has another strained, one that is based on justice and kindness, equality and mutual respect.

+ Extreme hate groups at a 20 year high

Globally, extreme groups pushing hate towards particular groups in society are on the rise, from both the far right and the far left.

But the most significant growth was in the number of white nationalist organisations, for example, up from 100 in the USA in 2017 to 148 in 2018.

71% of the deaths linked to extremism in the United States between 2008 and 2017 were committed by far-right attackers.

The use of racist and fascist terms on the internet has increased since 2015 which saw the beginning of the rise of anti-immigration rhetoric in the USA and Europe, according to Rolling Stone magazine and Ceros Originals. 

+ What you need to know today

+ IMMEDIATE RESPONSE

• Emergency visa Info for families of Christchurch victims – covers information and contact details for family or friends needing to come to New Zealand urgently.
• Offers of Assistance – Anyone wanting to offer practical assistance to those affected by Friday’s tragedy can call the Council Contact Centre on 941-8999 (or 0800 800 169) or info@ccc.govt.nz. Staff will record all offers of assistance and forward them to the appropriate agencies.
• ACC Financial Support – ACC is offering financial support to those who have been injured or have lost a loved one in Friday's mosque shootings. You can find details on how to access ACC's financial support on their website.
• Canterbury Charity Hospital Trust – The Canterbury Charity Hospital will be providing free counselling sessions for locals in need of support this week. People seeking free counselling from the hospital can make an appointment by calling 03 360 2266 (on weekdays), 020 4098 0750 (out of hours), or emailing info@charityhospital.org.nz.
• FIANZ Crisis Response Office in Christchurch – The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand have set up a crisis centre in Christchurch to offer 24-hour support and information. Please contact 0220786262 (Sultan Eusoff) should you need further information. Please also see the letter from the FIANZ President.
• Mental Wellbeing Support - Canterbury District Health Board has trained counsellors available, so if anyone requires mental wellbeing support or advice they can call or text 1737.
• Support the Muslim community – Council of Christians and Muslims urges all to reach out to Muslim neighbours, workmates, and friends. The immediate need is to offer love, support, sympathy and space to grieve in the short-term. The longer-term need being to continually build understanding, and addressing inherited prejudice and misunderstandings that separate communities. Please also see the resources from PreemptiveLove.
• New Zealand Red Cross RFL – New Zealand Police has an MoU with New Zealand Red Cross to help restore family links (RFL), or for individuals to indicate they are safe and well, following a disaster or incident such as the Christchurch shootings.  Please contact Restoring Family Links or call 0800 115 019 if you or a colleague is trying to find or reconnect with someone who might be affected by this event.
• Victim Support – support is available at a number of well-known call-lines including Manaaki Tangata Victim Support, and Aotearoa Resettlement Community Coalition in Christchurch.

​+ DONATIONS IN SUPPORT OF VICTIMS AND FAMILIES

• Donations are being accepted for The Christchurch Foundation's Our People, Our City Fund at most banks or by bank transfer to the following bank account: The Christchurch Foundation 15-3976-0091104-80. The foundation will work with Muslim communities to distribute the fund.
• Al Manar Trust – This trust has launched an emergency appeal for victims to offer help from the community around New Zealand to support the affected families. 
• NZ Victim Support - The New Zealand Council of Victim Support Groups has also set up a GiveALittle crowdfunding campaign. All donations received to the page will provide support and resources for people, and their family members, impacted by the shootings in Christchurch.
• NZ Islamic Information Centre - The New Zealand Islamic Information Centre (NZIIC) has established a crowdfunding campaign on Launchgood. All funds raised distributed to the victims and families affected by the Christchurch attack. All proceeds will go towards helping with their immediate, short-term needs.

 
+ VIGILS & SERVICES AROUND THE COUNTRY

There are a number of vigils being planned around the country within the next week:
 
North Island

• Waiheke – Wednesday, 20^th March at 6:30pm at Oneroa Beach
• Masterton – Wednesday, 20^th March at 7:30pm at Memorial Square
• Mangere – Friday, 22^nd March at 1:00pm at Airport Masjid Mosque
• Palmerston North – Friday, 22^nd March at 1:00 at Manawatu Muslims Association
• Auckland – Friday, 22^nd March at 6:00pm at Aotea Square
• Kapiti – Friday, 22^nd March at 7:00pm at Zeal.
• Auckland #2 – Sunday, 24^th March at 2:00pm at Aotea Square

South Island

• Blenheim – Wednesday, 20^th March at 6:30pm at Seymour Square
• Dunedin – Thursday, 21^st March at 7:00pm at the Octagon
• Nelson – Friday, 22^nd March at 12:30pm at Nelson Islamic Cultural Society Mosque.
• Christchurch – Sunday, 24^th March at 5:00pm at Hagley Park

 
+ PRESS RELEASES & STATEMENTS

• Maori Council
• Islamic Relief
• Amnesty International
• New Zealand Red Cross
• Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (Letter)

 
+ FURTHER RESOURCES

• NZ Ministry of Health resources in Arabic & English: "How to cope after a traumatic event" and "How to support your kids after a traumatic event"
• How to talk to children about violence and terrorism
• How to enhance community resilience following violence and terrorism
• How to cope with traumatic media
• How to help with traumatic stress
• How to maintain workplace mental wellbeing
• How to maintain personal mental wellbeing
• How to look after yourself and your family when there’s a crisis

 
+ OTHER ACTIONS

• Attend the Combating Islamaphobia and Racism workshops being run in central Auckland on Wednesday, 20^thMarch and Thursday, 21^st March
• Volunteer to help migrants or former refugees get their driver’s licence through the Open Road programme.
• Support organisations such as Ethnic Women’s Trust and the many Social Enterprises that provide livelihoods for migrants and former refugees.
• Support the Action Station petition for urgent action to address significant threats online hate, harassment and abuse is causing to New Zealanders
• Further strengthen your support for the Muslim community with these 5 things you can do today, from the organisation Preemptive Love.
• Download the Human Rights Commission ‘Give Nothing To Racism’ organisational toolkit
• Help your friends and family to address casual racism using these guidelines from Amnesty International
• Support the Action Station petition for urgent actions to ban all semiautomatic firearms and large-capacity magazines.
• Commemorate the 10-year anniversary of NZ’s Neighbourhood Week on 22^nd – 31^st March.
• Volunteer to support English language training for migrants and former refugees settling in New Zealand
• Consider doing Psychological First Aid (PFA) training with the New Zealand Red Cross. PFA provides initial emotional and practical support to someone who has experienced a traumatic event; either a large-scale disaster or a personal traumatic incident. 
• Get a copy of the ‘Cards for Calamity’ tool for yourself or those you care about following a disaster.
• Listen to the award-winning 2017 pod-casts ‘Public Enemy’ about growing up Muslim in Australia and New Zealand, about how policies, elections and xenophobia impacts on lives.

+ CID Conference and MFAT Partnership Day 2019

Our conference website is live - http://www.cidconference2019.com/

Further information on the event will be added during the year, with updates announced through the CID weekly.  So watch this space!