RAM Tackles Rates, Roads & Racism

"Over recent months, our peaceful Muslim community in Greater Auckland has been targeted by disgusting hate messages," said Mohammad Tauqir Khan, a candidate for the Auckland City Council in Avondale-Roskill ward.

A holder of the Queens Service Medal, Mohammad Tauqir Khan is a Muslim who is representing RAM, the Residents Action Movement.

In July 2007, a group of extreme right Christian preachers from Australia were the keynote speakers at fundamentalist conferences in New Zealand cities called Mosques & Miracles. Their venue in Auckland was the Greenlane Christian Centre in Marewa Rd.

"These professional Islamophobes from across the Tasman told New Zealanders that 'every mosque in the world' is a 'centre of war' where Muslims plot to 'kill Christians and Jews' and rape and slaughter 'virgins'."

"These are wicked lies," said Mohammad Tauqir Khan. "I am an immigrant to New Zealand, a lifelong Muslim, a Justice of the Peace and a holder of the Queens Service Medal. I have been into mosques right across Greater Auckland for decades, and I can assure everyone there are no bomb factories or terrorist conspiracies inside our places of worship."

"At the Mosques & Miracles conferences, Kiwi audiences were also informed that Muslims are 'on the march' to destroy our liberties and freedoms by waging war on all non-Muslims until they 'submit' to Islam or are enslaved or killed."

"Yet not a single Kiwi Muslim has ever been charged with any terrorist act, let alone convicted. That simple fact illustrates how New Zealand Muslims just want to live in peace with other communities. Because most Muslims in this country are immigrants, the Islamophobes are really spreading a racist message under cover of religion," said Mohammad Tauqir Khan.

"I am proud that RAM, in co-operation with a wide range of Muslim and non-Muslim community leaders, hosted Voices of Peace meetings in Auckland to counter these preachers of hate."

"1,300 people turned up to RAM's two packed meetings featuring British MP George Galloway, while hundreds more were unable to get in. The size of these crowds indicate that the vast majority of New Zealanders, including most evangelical Christians, do not want to see inter-communal conflict in our land."

"Now, in these council elections, RAM is breaking new ground. We have erected 120 large billboards depicting a woman in a hijab under the words: 'We all belong here. Protect our communities.' RAM is determined that the values of social inclusion shall win out over the politics of bigotry and racism."

"RAM believes that traditional council concerns over rates, roads and rubbish must be expanded to include other important issues like racism. Elected local government representatives must stand up for the rights of people being unjustly attacked. RAM representatives will certainly be doing so, as our track record shows," said Mohammad Tauqir Khan.

ENDS

© Scoop Media