Islamic centres attacked in Auckland
At least six Islamic centres in New Zealand have been vandalised and their walls painted with the message ‘Londoners RIP’, police said, following the deadly bombings in London.
In what appeared to be a co-ordinated series of attacks across Auckland, vandals smashed windows and doors and left variations of the same message in black paint on walls facing the street.
Muslim leaders and political leaders on Sunday condemned the attacks.
New Zealand Federation of Islamic Associations president Javed Khan said it was the first time an attack on this scale had occurred against the country’s 40,000 Muslims, about 25,000 of whom live in Auckland.
Khan said Muslims were “shocked and saddened” by the incidents in London and appealed to his community to be calm and tolerant of the overnight attacks in Auckland.
‘Intolerance’
 |
|
Prime Minister Helen Clark said it |
Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff, one of four government MPs to attend the gathering, said the politicians had come to “express solidarity with you in the face of this mindless and stupid vandalism”.
Prime Minister Helen Clark was also quick to condemn the attacks, saying it was wrong to target the Muslim community in New Zealand in retaliation for the attacks in London.
Opposition National Party leader Don Brash said the attacks were “an appalling act of intolerance” and the Green Party described the attackers as no better than the terrorists who brought death to London.
Thursday’s attacks on London public transport left at least 50 dead and left about 700 injured. One New Zealand woman has been unaccounted for in London since the blasts on Thursday.