The family of a Napier refugee killed in Iraq has hit back at New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, after he accused the father of 24 of disrespecting his adopted country.
Mr Peters also questioned the refugee status of Kadhem Chilab Abbas, from Napier, who died at the hands of Islamic State (Isis) forces on April 17, while fighting for a civilian army.
Mr Abbas left behind 24 children, 12 of them in New Zealand.
Mr Peters told reporters at Parliament yesterday the Iraqi-New Zealander was one out of tens of thousands of immigrants who had failed to respect New Zealand's "way of life" after settling here.
"He came here, he's got 24 children. I don't care if six are adopted or not, but who's looking after them all now in this country?"
His daughter Wjdan Khadem Chilab said last night Mr Peters' comments did not reflect the New Zealand ideals her family had come to know.
"What he's saying is very rude, it doesn't suit the Kiwi and the New Zealand we look up to.
"If my dad comes along and has 24 children it's got nothing to do with him. It's something we can manage. We don't need Winston Peters.
"Thankfully all our prayers have been answered, we have our mum and we can look after ourselves."
The New Zealand First leader defended his attacks at a time that the family was in mourning.
"I want to know what on earth was he doing here?" he said, also asking whether Mr Abbas had been working in a fulltime job.
"All I can see is a massive cost to the New Zealand taxpayer and I want to know why on earth was this fair?"
Hanan Kadhem Chilab, a registered nurse, said last week they secured refugee status in New Zealand after three years in exile, which was spent in Iran, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Some of the 24 children were fostered from other families after their parents had died.
Mr Abbas had been prevented from working because of leg injury sustained when he was shot in Iraq in 1992, but he had previously done some seasonal fruit-picking work.
- Additional reporting NZ Herald