When it comes to discrimination, Otago Muslim Association president Mohammed Rizwan doesn't mince words.
A year on from the deadly terror attack against Muslims in Christchurch, Mr Rizwan says New Zealand still has a long way to go in terms of religious and racial tolerance.
‘‘It’s not something new to us, especially our sisters, because they wear the hijab so people do recognise that you are a Muslim,’’ he said.
He was aware of incidents around the country of Muslims being targeted after the attacks.
In one incident, a woman walking to a mosque was punched in the stomach. Another person was verbally abused and told ‘‘go back to your country’’.
Social media was another platform where racism existed, he said.
‘‘The least we can do is just keep on educating people.’’
Mr Rizwan had just left Dunedin’s Al Huda Mosque on the afternoon of March 15, 2019, when he heard there had been a shooting in Christchurch.
It was a shock to the system, he said - not just that mosques were targeted, but that there had been a shooting in New Zealand at all.
The safety of the Dunedin mosque became a prime concern in the immediate aftermath of the attack.
It was only later they would learn the alleged terrorist, who was living in Dunedin at the time, had originally planned to target it instead.
‘‘That was really scary, it would be scary for anyone, that this guy had been living among us and had been planning this for the past two years.
‘‘That was a scary thought right there, it was happening on our doorstep.’’
