The Human Rights Commission has weighed in on the case of a Dunedin boy rejected for an exchange trip to Japan because he is Muslim.
Sharif Steel, 15, had hoped to spend a year in Japan staying with a host family but his application was rejected due to his religious beliefs, Stuff reported earlier today.
After applying, Sharif received an email from the exchange organisation World Youth Services saying their Japanese counterparts had "a few questions about you being a Muslim."
Sharif was told the problem stemmed from the fact that he did not eat pork, because "basically every Japanese family eats pork."
The boy offered to pick pork out of his meals, but the organisation's decision not accept his application remained the same, Stuff said.