We're a multicultural nation

At present, 28 percent of us identify as coming from a non-European migrant background Narayanan says.

A 2021 MNZ initiative has already seen Multicultural Councils across the country celebrating a Te Tiriti-based National Multicultural Day on the last Friday of August, he says.

On that day MNZ encourages migrants to make their heritage visible by wearing cultural clothing, sharing traditional food with friends and colleagues, and speaking their native language.

A specific day off to visibly celebrate our different cultures would allow us to "thank our ancestors" Narayanan says.

He also suggests a second paid day off could be considered so New Zealanders could celebrate an event that is culturally significant to them.

This could - for example - be taken on a religious holiday that is not otherwise celebrated as a public holiday in New Zealand.

Rather than a set day, people would be able to choose when to take this day off and have it written into their contracts for work.

"New Zealand would be the richer for it" and "ethnic communities will flourish" he says.

Taking the suggestion to Parliament

Rather than celebrate this year's Te Tiriti-based National Multicultural Day last Friday, MNZ decided to celebrate it at Parliament last Monday so he could introduce his proposal to our politicians.

Minister for Ethnic Communities Melissa Lee joined the celebrations saying she is proud of New Zealand's diversity which continues to develop and expand.

"There is immense value in the many cultural celebrations that are already being held around New Zealand throughout the year" she says.

Cultural celebrations "help to grow social cohesion in New Zealand" which is "already very multicultural, with more than 160 ethnicities represented".

Lee is encouraging MNZ to make a petition to Parliament about its proposal, where democratic processes would debate and decide the outcome.

Just what that outcome will be is open to speculation.

It's likely though that the ACT Party will hesitate because of the cost to business.

It could involve sacrificing a current paid public holiday.

As it is, ACT wants to get rid of the 2 January holiday to allow for Matariki, which was introduced as a new holiday in 2022.

Source

• 1News

Speaking to faith leaders at a reception at Buckingham Palace, Charles emphasised his own strong Christian faith.

It is a position the new king has long held. As Prince of Wales, he said he wished to be regarded as both a defender of faith as well as Defender of the Faith.

His words were soon put into action when the time of his reception with faith leaders at Buckingham Palace last Friday had to be moved from a 6pm to 5pm start.

The change enabled Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis to attend the reception and leave in time to get home before Shabbat began at 7pm.

At the reception, Charles told the 30-plus leaders of different faiths: "I am a committed Anglican Christian, and at my Coronation I will take an oath relating to the settlement of the Church of England.

"At my accession, I have already solemnly given — as has every sovereign over the last 300 years — an oath which pledges to maintain and preserve the Protestant faith in Scotland.

"I have always thought of Britain as a ‘community of communities'. That has led me to understand that the sovereign has an additional duty — less formally recognised but to be no less diligently discharged.

"It is a duty to protect the diversity of our country, including by protecting the space for Faith itself and its practice through the religions, cultures, traditions and beliefs to which our hearts and minds direct us as individuals.

"This diversity is not just enshrined in the laws of our country, it is enjoined by my own faith. As a member of the Church of England, my Christian beliefs have love at their very heart.

"By my most profound convictions, therefore — as well as by my position as sovereign — I hold myself bound to respect those who follow other spiritual paths, as well as those who seek to live their lives in accordance with secular ideals."

Charles also spoke about protecting other religions.

"I have always thought of Britain as a ‘community of communities'. That has led me to understand that the sovereign has an additional duty - less formally recognised but to be no less diligently discharged.

"It is a duty to protect the diversity of our country, including by protecting the space for faith itself and its practice through the religions, cultures, traditions and beliefs to which our hearts and minds direct us as individuals. This diversity is not just enshrined in the laws of our country, it is enjoined by my own faith.

Afterwards Cardinal Vincent Nichols tweeted: "Earlier today I was privileged to be part of an audience with King Charles.

"In my conversation with him, I assured him that catholics had continued in heartfelt prayer for his mother. He expressed his gratitude and asked me to ensure that catholics know of his thanks and gratitude."

Source

• The Tablet
• Church Times

Our diversity is reflected in these 10 names, according to the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Jeff Montgomery.

The most common surname across New Zealand last year was Singh, with just under 400 babies registered under that name.

That's about 400 of the over 58,000 babies born last year.

Singh's led the way for a while now. But where the most common surnames registered in 2019 were Singh, Smith, Kaur, Wilson and Williams, Patel now makes it into the top five instead of Wilson.

There was some regional variation with Patel being the most common family name in Wellington, and Singh in Auckland and Bay of Plenty, while Smith took out top spot in Canterbury, Otago, West Coast and Southland.

Montgomery says the emergence of names such as Singh, Kaur and Patel reflected both immigration and religious affiliation trends.

In addition, he notes some new family names were hyphenated while other parents chose to "create completely new ones."

Anusha Guler, executive director of the Office of Ethnic Communities points out the diversity reflected in the list.

"The list of the most common surnames for 2020 is yet another indication of Aotearoa New Zealand's thriving diversity."

"This is good news, as diversity in our communities helps make New Zealand a more culturally rich, innovative and connected place."

Most common family names in New Zealand:

Singh — 398

Smith — 319

Kaur — 274

Patel — 204

Williams — 198

Brown — 194

Wilson — 179

Taylor — 152

Thompson — 148

Anderson — 143

Most common surname by region:

• Northland - Smith

• Auckland - Singh

• Bay of Plenty - Singh

• Waikato - Smith

• Gisborne - Allen, Brown, Kemp, Williams

• Taranaki - Smith

• Hawke's Bay - Singh

• Manawatu-Whanganui - Anderson

• Wellington - Patel

• Nelson - Marshall, Taylor, Smith, Stewart, Thompson

• West Coast - Smith

• Canterbury - Smith

• Otago - Smith

• Southland - Wilson

Source

• Scoop
• TVNZ
• NZ Herald
• Image: Otago Daily Times

But the surge has not come without growing pains, Read more

His voice is one a many that are calling for New Zealand schools to teach their students more about religion.

John Shaver, head of religious studies at the University of Otago, agrees.

"It's ridiculous to think one shouldn't teach religion, given its importance in human society.

Every society has a religion of some sort, so to not talk about what that is would be a huge disservice to the education of children - it would be equivalent to hiding politics from education."

Peter Donovan, a former associate professor of religious studies at Massey University, said New Zealand's religious diversity should be recognised within different curriculum areas.

Rather than any "heavy loadings of beliefs and doctrine", classrooms should be places where students can learn about different beliefs, gods, texts, rituals and customs, "so schools can share in the life of their wider communities and increase awareness of religious diversity".

"The mosque shootings [highlighted] the need for accepting that we have a lot of religions and opinions about religions in New Zealand," Donovan says.

In New Zealand, primary schools are permitted to close for one hour each week to allow religious instruction to take place.

There are a number of religious instruction providers and they all have different syllabuses.

However, they do not teach about religion, they instruct in Christian religious faith.

The main provider is the Churches Education Commission, now called Launchpad.

It operates in about 600 schools around the country.

Apart from a requirement for police vetting of all presenters, the Ministry of Education takes no role in overseeing course content.

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• religiouseducation.co.nz
• noted.co.nz
• Image: walterhav.com

Maori religious culture provides a way of exercising public religion.

Public events include traditional Maori blessings, in which all are expected to join. Read more

The photo above shows Destiny Church Christchurch senior pastor Derek Marina Tait reaching out to a member of the Muslim community during the call to prayer and peace vigil at Hagley Park on March 22.

But on April 25, in the same place, about 100 men from Man Up and Legacy, groups affiliated to Destiny Church, proclaimed New Zealand and Christchurch belonged to Jesus.

Tait said the purpose of the meeting was to stand out in the open and to declare that Christchurch and New Zealand belongs to Jesus Christ who is the one true god.

Social media users were not happy with Destiny's move.

"It is Christians like Destiny Church who give God a bad name," said blogger Martyn Bradbury.

"How insecure do you need to be in your faith if you have to turn up at the site of an atrocity against another religion to proclaim your God rules this land?"

"Leave the Muslim community alone/show some respect. PS their religion and yours come from same place, difference is ok," wrote former Green MP Catherine Delahunty on Twitter.

More than 384 people liked her tweet.

Darryl Ward, an Anglican lay preacher from Paraparaumu, urged Christians to instead show love and care "for our Muslim brothers and sisters".

Ward said Christianity had never been the "sole faith tradition" in New Zealand.

"Maori spiritual beliefs preceded the arrival of Europeans and Christianity, and other faith traditions from overseas soon followed," he said.

"While Christianity has been the dominant faith tradition since colonial days, its position has been eroding."

Source

• newshub.co.nz
• thedailyblog.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

"A chance to look at some of the ways we need to remember and be remembered.

"It is a line in the sand: This our baseline. The only way from here is up."

Elder says New Zealanders have a way to go with acceptance of other religions and cultures.

She points to the University of Auckland's NZ Attitudes and Values study; a 20-year longitudinal national study of social attitudes, personality and health outcomes.

"One of the salient things the study shows is that New Zealanders have low warmth to the Muslim community compared to other religious and ethnic groups."

Elder says the study suggests New Zealanders don't make a distinction between "Muslim" and "Arab".

"We are comparing a group identified by their religion with other groups who are not," she said.

"Chinese, for example, are not defined by their faith."

While some Muslims might identify as coming from the Arabian peninsula, roughly one quarter are from the Middle East or Africa, and another quarter are born in NZ. Almost 27 per cent are from Asia, and 21 per cent are Pasifika.

And people who identify with an Arab ethnicity might also be from a range of faiths including Christian, Jewish, or Baha'i.

Massey University sociologist professor Paul Spoonley thinks there has been a systemic failure in New Zealand to recognise minority ethnic and religious communities.

He said the use of "crude categorisations" like Asian and Pasifika by authorities hide important differences and the true diversity of the nation.

Spoonley said it was important for New Zealanders to care about diversity recognition because "recognition and respect are at the core of inclusiveness".

"It acknowledges an important identity for communities and it is part of our commitment as a society to making sure we reflect diversity in all its forms, not just the ones we want to recognise or feel most comfortable with," he said.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: nzherald.co.nz

"This follows a general trend occurring across the country, where religious diversity has been collapsed into broader discussions of biculturalism, ethnic diversity and superdiversity."

He says the result has been that "we lack the expertise to talk to the New Zealand state and citizenry about the contemporary challenges occurring around religious diversity".

Hoverd thinks the lack of emphasis on religion will create problems for understanding social cohesion and healing after Christchurch.

He says Prime Minister Jacinda Arden argued that the very reason our nation was targeted for a terrorist event was because of its diversity.

She noted that New Zealand has "200 ethnicities, 160 languages, and amongst that diversity we share common values".

But "Her language focused solely on ethnic diversity and did not mention religion or religious diversity".

Hoverd posed the question: "After the decline of the study of religion in New Zealand, how will we develop a sensitive and informed discussion and language of religious diversity where increased state management and community cohesion can function together to renew our nation as a safe and harmonious place that accepts all people, no matter what they believe?"

Personal Contact breaks down fears

Another Massey academic, Professor Stephen Croucher, says his research in India, France, Finland, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States has shown that many dominant group members, often white Christians in those countries, express fear of immigrants in their nations.

"The more contact we have with each other and learn about one another, the less likely we are to fear one another," he says.

Dr Wil Hoverd is a senior lecturer at the Massey University Centre for Defence and Security Studies. A sociologist of religion by training, he is an expert in religious diversity and New Zealand national security.

Professor Stephen Croucher is the head of Massey University's School of Communication, Marketing and Journalism.

Source:

• massey.ac.nz
• massey.ac.nz
• radionz.co.nz
• stuff.co.nz
• Image: canterbury.ac.nz

They're reporting a surge of interest in the religion in the wake of the Christchurch attacks.

Ikhlaq Kashkari, president of the New Zealand Muslim Association, is delighted. He says everyday Kiwis are entering mosques for the first time and wanting to learn more. Read more

And on Wednesday At Al-Madinah School in Mangere, Auckland, a haka, prayer and waiata rang out at an assembly to remember those affected by the Christchurch mosque shootings.

St Thomas of Canterbury College, a Catholic school, learned that a former student who was a Muslim, Hussein Hazim Al-Umari, was killed in the attack.

In honour of Al-Umari and the other 49 victims, head boy Cameron Brewitt and a large number of pupils and ex-students organised to pay their respects by visiting the outside of the mosque at the Students' Uniting in Love Memorial.

They sang a Fijian hymn and performed their moving school haka.

Brewitt says he is proud his Catholic school is inclusive of other religions and cultures.

He told the New Zealand Herald that the school respected different cultures and religions.

"The diversity in our school really highlights the respect and the amount of outpouring for this tragedy, and again highlights the respect we have for everyone no matter what ethnicity you are or the religion you follow," he said.

At Al-Madinah School hundreds of school children, students and politicians had gathered in remembrance.

Everyone stood for the national anthem, but it was a rousing Ka Mate haka from a handful of boys which was met with raucous applause.

As the cry finished ringing out, the boys, in their white-and-black traditional uniforms, vigorously beat their feet on the ground.

Students from St Paul's school in Auckland sang a rendition of the Maori hymn "Mo Maria", after they were invited inside the Al-Masjid Al Jamie Mosque in Ponsonby on Tuesday.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• tvnz.co.nz
• Image: screenshot tvnz.co.nz

Pope Francis and Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar, a leading authority for many Sunni Muslims, stepped into the debate Feb. 4 when they signed a document on "human fraternity" and improving Christian-Muslim relations.

"The pluralism and the diversity of religions, color, sex, race and language are willed by God in his wisdom, through which he created human beings," the document said.

The document goes on to insist on the basic human right to freedom of religion, appealing to both Christians and Muslims not only to tolerate the religious faith of the other, but to recognize the other's faith as something "willed by God in his wisdom."

In other words, the message seems to be, if God "wants" religious diversity, who are human beings to be intolerant of it?

But can God really "want" a variety of religions? And is that what the statement Pope Francis signed really says?

In a post on the document, Father John Zuhlsdorf, a blogger, tried to explain things by saying that God has an "active or positive will" of what he desires and makes happen, and "a ‘permissive will' by which he allows that things will take place that are not in accord with the order he established."

In that case, God tolerates other religions.

Something more

But Pope Francis and Sheik el-Tayeb seemed to assert something more and to demand of their faithful an attitude that goes beyond being tolerant of religious pluralism.

Speaking to reporters flying back to Rome with him Feb. 5, the pope said, "I want to restate this clearly: From the Catholic point of view, the document does not deviate one millimeter from Vatican II."

Nostra Aetate, the council document on the church's relationship with other religions, affirmed:

"The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men."

Proclaiming the church's "esteem" for Muslims, the council noted that "they adore the one God" and strive to submit to his will.

"Though they do not acknowledge Jesus as God, they revere him as a prophet. They also honor Mary, his virgin mother; at times they even call on her with devotion."

The Vatican II document does not say that everything in all religions comes from God, but one cannot deny that God created human beings with a desire to seek and find him, and the world's religions contain at least elements of what is necessary to move toward God. Continue reading

Employers find it okay to employ Buddhists and Hindus but are wary of hiring Muslims, an AUT study has found.

Indian Christians in the research faced the least barriers, and acknowledged the benefits derived from having westernised names, a Western dress sense and fluency in English.

More than 200 people were interviewed for the research. Some Muslim employees said they faced racial comments or queries linking them to terror attacks and many said they experienced discrimination because of their faith.

"Women with veils and/or burqas are viewed with general curiosity and avoidance ... it is also difficult for men with beards," said the report.

The research for a book entitled Work and Worship by AUT Professor of Diversity Edwina Pio investigated the impact of minority religions in the New Zealand workplace.

Source

• New Zealand Herald
• Image: focus-coaching.co.uk

He says schools with ethnic names are not fully inclusive of other races but schools with religious names are OK.

Speaking at Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School prize-giving ceremony in Voloca, Dreketi, he said, "Take for instance this school (Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School) — it does not limit students because of their religion, in fact it takes all races and children of different religious backgrounds."

In 2012 all schools in Fiji were requested by the Ministry of Education to remove ethnic words from their names.

In May 2012 Education Ministry Permanent Secretary Doctor Brij Lal said 10 schools with which described themselves in ethnic terms had already changed their names and had been issued with new registration certificates.

Source

• FBC+
• Fiji Times
• Image: Embassy of Japan in Fiji

Meat Industry Association chief executive Tim Ritchie says he was there to show people at the forum how seriously New Zealand takes the halal - and that we have good systems and processes to ensure the meat is prepared as agreed.

He says the product that goes to a Muslim market has involved a Muslim slaughterman and the industry employs around 250 of them around the country out of a total workforce of around 24,000.

Mr Ritchie says although 250 is only a small proportion of the total number of workers, the Muslim slaughtermen play an extremely important role. Continue reading

The main purpose of the conference was to look for ways to ensure the establishment of robust relationships that would promote religious freedom and tolerance and mutual respect for different churches and faiths, including, a sensitivity to and respect for, local practices.

In his keynote address titled "Religion, Law and the Samoan Indigenous Reference," His Highness the Head of State Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Ta'isi Efi said: "Religion and law in the Samoan indigenous context amounts to a search for tofa sa'ili, for tua'oi and lagimalie."

He said "Tofa sa'ili is the search for wisdom; a search for God - (tofa is wisdom; sa'ili means ‘to search for').
Tua'oi means boundary. Lagimalie, in this case, it literally refers to the harmony or remembrance. These three concepts frame my address."

Tuiatua said, "The quest for freedom of religion presumes not only the right to worship one's God freely, but also the responsibility to practice that worship in a way that respects and upholds the virtues of harmony, balance and justice."

The conference was the first of its kind in Samoa and was attended by representatives from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Australia, the United States of America and New Zealand.

Source

• The Samoa Observer
• Te Korowai Whakapono
• Image: International Centre for Law and Religion Studies

Michael Otterson puts the Mormon position. "Polling data shows that the biggest problem for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that about half the population knows nothing about them," he says.

"Research shows that people have a far better view of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when they know a member personally. There is a point when those people who have seen Mormons caricatured in their Sunday School classes realize that the second-hand prejudices they have learned don't fit with their first-hand experiences with faithful Latter-day Saints."

Read Otterson's column in the Washington Post

Michael Otterson is the head of Public affairs, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Image: The Washington Post

Keynote speakers included Tainui Chief Executive Parekawhia McLean, Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon and Porirua City Councillor and community youth worker Fa'amatuainu Wayne Poutoa.

A national youth diversity forum was held concurrently, with youth delegates both meeting separately and participating in the wider forum.

Speaking before the meeting, Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres said 35 different organisations were coming together to discuss practical action on a wide range of diversity issues including religion, discrimination and human rights. He said there would be a new paper on what's been happening with regards to Maori seats in local government.

On Sunday Todd Nachowitz presented a paper on Quantifying Ethnic and Religious Diversity In New Zealand

On Monday a discussion paper was presented on structural, or systemic discrimination, relating to barriers to equality for Maori, Pacific and other groups. Another paper discussed Maori representation in Local Government

In addition there was to be be discussion on what the police did in response to the earthquake in Christchurch in terms of reaching diverse communities.

The forum was jointly hosted by the New Zealand Human Rights Commission and the Hamilton Multicultural Services Trust, with support from the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO, the Settling In Programme of the Ministry of Social Development, NZ Police, the Office of Ethnic Affairs and other partner organisations.

It was held at Claudelands Events Centre in Hamilton.

Click here to see other presentations
Click here to view photographs

Source:
Human Rights Commission
Image: yogile.com