The New Zealand Buddhist Council is deeply concerned by the speech of Bishop Brian Tamaki of Destiny Church, posted on Facebook on 17 June. His speech included threats to burn down temples and mosques.
Aotearoa New Zealand has already suffered a terrorist attack on places of worship. Threats to burn temples and mosques must be treated as dangerous extremism, not dismissed as childish bullying.
When a government Minister minimises threats against faith communities our confidence is undermined that faith communities will be supported and safe.
We are especially concerned when public leaders do not recognise the seriousness of speech such as this. Our communities are not strengthened by minimising threats toward minority faiths. We are strengthened when leaders name such conduct plainly, uphold equal respect for all communities, and reassure those who may reasonably feel targeted.
We recognise and uphold freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and the right of people to hold and express religious convictions. Those freedoms, however, do not give leaders licence to threaten places of worship or to advocate hostility toward people because of their faith.
Temples, mosques, churches, gurdwaras, synagogues and other places of worship are places where families gather, where elders and children take refuge, and where communities practise peace, compassion and service. Threats against these places cannot be dismissed as harmless theatre. These threats have consequences.
Aotearoa New Zealand has already learned, in the most painful way, that extremist hatred creates violence. The terrorist who attacked two Christchurch mosques on 15 March 2019 treated a religious minority as an alien presence and a threat.
Public leaders have a responsibility not to fuel hostility, dehumanisation, and religious exclusion.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch terrorist attacks recognised the need for fit-for-purpose laws and policies, including a workable approach to hate speech and better protection against hate crime. The Commission also identified that existing incitement provisions in New Zealand law did not protect religious belief. This creates absurd distinctions between ethnic communities who are protected and religious communities who are not, although they are often the same people.
This legal gap remains a serious concern. Sections 61 and 131 of the Human Rights Act 1993 currently address incitement against groups on the grounds of colour, race, ethnic or national origins, but not religious adherence. This leaves faith communities without protection when hostility is directed at them precisely because of their religion.
The New Zealand Buddhist Council therefore calls for:
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- Clear public condemnation of threats toward any place of worship.
- Police assessment of risk when public threats are made against temples, mosques or other religious sites, including whether vulnerable communities require reassurance or protective engagement.
- Address the legal gap in New Zealand’s incitement legislation, so that religious communities are included within protections that already apply to race, colour, ethnic and national origins.
- National strategy for social cohesion, with meaningful engagement with minority faith communities as an ongoing responsibility of government.
The strength of Aotearoa New Zealand lies in the ability of differing communities to live alongside one another with mutual respect.
With mettā,
New Zealand Buddhist Council