In the Loop: Parliament's protest turns ugly and the Justice for Hoda campaign

Petra Khan wants more people to understand why Muslim woman wear hijabs. Photo / Getty Images

A brutal attack on a Muslim schoolgirl in Otago has sparked fresh discussion about the prevalence of Islamophobia.

Hoda Al-Jamaa, 17, ended up in hospital with concussion after the incident on February 9 at her school, Otago Girls' High, which involved three girls.

Hoda was sitting with her friends when three other students asked them how to swear in Arabic, and began taunting them.

They then ripped off her hijab and beat her. The incident was filmed and the video was shared among other students.

On this week's episode of In the Loop, the New Zealand Herald's youth news podcast, hosts Rosie Gordon and Katie talk to Petra Khan about the Justice for Hoda campaign that was launched in the wake of the attack. She discusses what New Zealanders, and particularly school communities, need to understand about Muslim culture to prevent other attacks happening in the future.

The Herald understands that two students have been expelled for their role in the attack.

Also on this week's episode, the protest on Parliament's lawn has entered it's third and most violent week as Police pushed back against protesters. 1 News reporter Kristin Hall details her experiences reporting from the front lines, including the scenes she's witnessed and the abuse being levelled at reporters.

Economist Brad Olsen joins to detail the Reserve Bank's monetary policy announcement on Wednesday and what that means for people looking to get on the housing ladder - and those who are already on.

And after months of speculation, Russia has launched an invasion on Ukraine despite attempts from the US and European countries to avert a crisis.

In the Loop is available on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes come out every Friday morning.

You can find more New Zealand Herald podcasts at nzherald.co.nz/podcasts or on iHeartRadio.