Winston strikes again (and not in a good way)
Winston Peters has again gone completely over the top. His latest target? New Zealand’s Muslim community. He said in a speech today:
In New Zealand the Muslim community have been quick to show us their more moderate face, but as some media reports have shown, there is a militant underbelly here as well.
These two groups, the moderate and militant, fit hand and glove everywhere they exist.
Underneath it all the agenda is to promote fundamentalist Islam.
Indeed these groups are like the mythical Hydra – a serpent underbelly with multiple heads capable of striking at any time and in any direction.
Let’s be clear what Winston is saying here: the moderation that Muslim community leaders in New Zealand have shown since September 11 has been a trick, designed to mask the radicalism of their true agenda - to promote fundamentalist Islam here. The moderate and the militant fit hand in glove, working together to promote their radical aims by whatever means necessary. If their intolerance needs to be promoted by pretending to be tolerant, then so be it.
This is a slur on an entire religious community, aimed not at raising important issues of national security but at swinging Winston some votes of ignorance. He should be ashamed of himself. His track record suggests he won’t be. Let us hope that the media do not give him the saturation coverage he’s hoping for as a result of this despicable speech. Lavish attention will only encourage him to air more such intolerance in the future.
July 28th, 2005 at 6:41 pm
careful fwog, you win election, you get Winston no wantons wanteds, you got to get intoconnected fwog, communal spirit you know, bro therly love fwog, Winston he gots Environment progrom to go with yous social progrom, sound ok to me,
July 28th, 2005 at 9:36 pm
This is a classic trick out of the scoundrel’s box of tricks - divide and smear.
The sad thing is that some kiwis will not see it for what it is.
However, the silver lining is that it will cost Winnie so of his Labour supporters - who will realise that a vote for him is a vote against their own best interest.
July 28th, 2005 at 11:35 pm
I see. So, if you are to express a moderate viewpoint on anything, then you are automatically supporting the extremists who share your viewpoints.
Well, it’s a damned good thing Winston’s not a moderate - otherwise we might assume that he’s secretly supporting Oil cartels, the industrial-military complex, and an increase to the division of wealth. But no, I guess racist bugger is all we can pin on this guy.
July 29th, 2005 at 7:23 am
What I don’t get is that his ‘informants’ are apaprently muslim. Presumably moderate. So he’s openly admitting to working with people whose agenda, according to Peters’, is to promote fundamentalist Islam.
What’s up with that?
July 29th, 2005 at 11:41 am
The history of Islam and it’s relationship with the West has been both fruitful and fraught. for the western world to unilaterally adopt an attitude of “tolerance” for the intolerable is an inadequate response.
The question of who these “Islamic extremists” actually are, and more importantly who runs them is yet to be answered, and yet whether they like it or not the onus has been placed on the Islamic community in NZ to respond.
There are many aspects of traditional “Middle Eastern” male dominated/honour culture that are absolutely an anathema in our society. Regretably much of this behaviour is inextricably entangled with and by cultural distortions of Islam. In this sense Peter’s is tapping a legitimate reservoir of questions, that have caused many thoughtful people some disquiet.
Equally however his shameless exploitation of these fears in the weeks leading to an election is utterly unprincipled and to be deplored.
July 29th, 2005 at 2:36 pm
It’s a shame the Hamner centre was shutdown.. the NZF leader has visited the egocentric and antisocial traits of an alcoholic on NZ politics for quite long enough now..