Editorial: Vandalism a showcase for bigotry

Opinion

Shame heaped upon shame. The vandalism attacks on six Muslim places of worship in Auckland after the terrorist bombings in London are contemptible in the extreme.

They are, also, particularly worrying. Not only because of the existence in our communities of people with minds so contorted that they would commit such acts but also for the organised nature of the crimes.

In themselves, the breaking of windows and spray painting of walls are low-level offences. Yet those who did so in this case knew full well that the effect of the attacks would be far greater. They seek to create fear among the Muslim community, and no doubt have done so.

New Zealanders like to think of themselves as fair-minded and tolerant. Plainly, though, there are people on the fringe who too often darken this country's name.

The destruction of numerous headstones at the Jewish section of a Wellington cemetery last year after Israel's spy agency Mossad was caught in a passport scam in Auckland was another instance of knee-jerk bigotry. Yesterday the Jewish Council was among the first to condemn the vandalism at mosques and to extend sympathy to the communities affected.

"An assault perpetrated against any religious or ethnic group is an act of violence directed against all New Zealanders," its president, Stephen Goodman, said. He is, of course, right.

The Auckland mosque vandals chose as their targets law-abiding communities with no link to the event supposedly being avenged.

Muslims in Auckland had joined their brethren in the United Kingdom and around the world in condemning the multiple bombings in London on Thursday night. One target at the weekend, the Ponsonby mosque, in Vermont St, has been a leader in reaching out to Christian New Zealand in a fellowship with the Catholic Church directly across the street.

Any attempt to blame mainstream Muslim believers for the acts of terrorists who claim to work in the name of Islam 20,000km away is as absurd as it is menacing. All right-thinking New Zealanders will feel sympathy for those whose places of worship have been desecrated and hope that those responsible are found and prosecuted.

Internationally, New Zealand finds itself again in the headlines for the religious hostilities of disturbed individuals. The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister condemned the vandalism yesterday, surely conscious that Muslims here will need reassurance that their faith and worship can be safely practised.

In Britain there have also been some acts of vandalism in response to the bombings, notably against a mosque in Leeds. But the London terrorist attacks have not inspired the degree of panic and fear cited in an unconfirmed website claim of responsibility. Muslim leaders in the UK have been resolute in condemning the terrorists - if indeed they are found to be Muslims - as enemies not just of freedom but of Islam itself. Those smashing and spray painting fear across Auckland at the weekend probably know nothing of all this. They damage our society and country through ignorance, which is the trademark of such bigotry.