WELLINGTON (NEW ZEALAND) – New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that the world still needs to have discourses on racism and white supremacy. The country marked two years since two mosques in the city of Christchurch was attacked by a white supremacist.
Australian Brenton Tarrant had killed 51 people and injured dozens on March 15, 2019.
Tarrant had released a racist manifesto shortly before the attack and streamed the shootings live on Facebook.
“The world needs to have these conversations,”
“In the aftermath of the attack it was incumbent on New Zealand to get its house in order,” she said, adding that it was not fair to say that because the terrorist came from Australia, that New Zealand didn’t have a responsibility.
“Members of our Muslim community were experiencing some pretty horrific racism before that attack here in their own communities.”
Ardern said every global leader is vested with a responsibility as their voice can be broadcast anywhere, at any time.
“Countries need to take that into account,” she said.
Ardern said a NZ$1 million ($719,800) community engagement response fund had been set up for community groups for an engagement with the Royal Commission. A array of other measures were also announced for the community.
When asked if New Zealand was a much safer place for Muslims now compared to two years ago, Ardern said: “I am not the one to answer that, only our Muslim community can. But I can say right now, there’s still work to be done.”
