A racist rant on a Lower Hutt bus last week, captured on a video, highlights the some of the challenges faced by Muslims in New Zealand.
The incident took place on a Valley Flyer bus travelling between Petone and Naenae last Wednesday morning.
Another challenge is the reluctance of employers to hire them are among the issues that will be up for discussion at a Muslim at Work Summit this coming Wednesday.
Many Muslims were getting a better deal in employment here than in their countries of origin, but some employers were still nervous about hiring them says, Auckland University of Technology [AUT] professor of diversity Edwina Pio who is convening the Summit.
“Many employers, with every good intention, are skittish about employing Muslims, based on media pictures and coverage about Muslims globally, which is often linked with violence, gender inequality and extremist jihad.”
“The summit aims to dispel myths, shed light on the Islamic culture and create understanding of the diversity within our Muslim workforce,” said Pio.
The Summit is being held at AUT and speakers include Equal Employment Commissioner Jackie Blue, Imam Sheikh Rafat and New Zealand’s first ethnic police inspector Rakesh Naidoo.
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