A Rotorua business owner and Muslim community leader says people shouldn't blame Islam for the actions of Man Haron Monis in Sydney, just like people don't blame Christianity for Anders Breivik's 2011 killings of 77 people in Norway.
Ayhan Semiz said Islam means peace "but when these things happen itgives a bad reputation to our religion". "All we can do is live and try to show it's not like that."
Man Haron Monis, 50, an Iranian refugee, took 20 people hostage in a Sydney cafe, displaying a black Islamic flag in the window and styling himself a Muslim cleric.
He was shot by police after a 17-hour standoff. Two other people, Tori Johnson, 34, and Katrina Dawson, 38, were also killed and six people were injured.
Another Rotorua Muslim, Nabih Mansour who runs Mansour's Kitchen at the night market, says he's not worried about a backlash affecting the local Muslim community.
"Rotorua people are very friendly. I've never had anyone treat me badly here, never. I'm 67 and in my life, the first time I felt secure was in New Zealand."
The incident, being so close to home and so soon after an anti-terrorism bill was rushed through Parliament, comes under increased scrutiny about what it means for New Zealand.
National MP Mark Mitchell believes it justifies the bill's passing, but Robert Ayson of Victoria University's Centre for Strategic Studies told media he didn't think so and that it was likely Mr Monis was taking advantage of a climate of fear of terrorism.
Mr Semiz agreed with Professor Ayson. "There's a bunch of idiots out there who dress themselves up in religion to justify how they want to act and what they want to do.
"But there's other ways to address your issues than violence, you can work with the system and the community.
"Islam says that if a country has beliefs or culture that you don't agree with, that could conflict with your faith, then you shouldn't go there, it'll only bring you unhappiness.
"We've come to this country to be part of it and we want to live peacefully. This country has free movement and open borders, if you don't like it you're free to go."
But, Mr Semiz said this was not easy for people like Man Haron Monis, who was a political refugee and obviously disturbed.
He felt that Muslims and wider community had to work together to help newcomers, especially when they're struggling to adapt to a culture, to give them a sense of support and belonging so they don't look for it in fundamentalism.
