Islamophobia in New Zealand politics

I could stand,in the context of the collapse of human and industrial society, of indulging in a little trivia. However, it is not often that New Zealand grabs the headlines - for all the wrong reasons

Richard Prosser, Outcry As New Zealand MP Says Muslims Should Be Banned From Flights In Anti-Islamic Rant

Huffington Post.uk,

12 Fwebruary, 2013

Writing in his column in Investigate Magazine, First Leader Richard Prosser said: "If you are a young male, aged between say about 19 and about 35, and you're a Muslim, or you look like a Muslim, or you come from a Muslim country, then you are not welcome to travel on any of the West's airlines."

Labelling Islam a "stone age religion", and claiming most terrorists are "angry young Muslim men who hate the West", Prosser added: "I will not stand by while my daughters' rights and freedoms, and those of other New Zealanders and Westerners, are denigrated by a sorry pack of misogynist troglodytes from 'Wogistan'."

Prosser's comments were labelled "appalling" by Prime Minister John Key, News.Com.Au reports.

Key told reporters he believed Prosser had deliberately set out to offend. He added: "It's stupid and it was premeditated because he wrote it in an opinion piece. It's clearly what New Zealand First think of other New Zealanders."

A press release from Rt Hon Winston Peters of the New Zealand First Party was released on Tuesday.

It says: "I have spoken to with Mr Prosser regarding the Investigate magazine article. He wrongfully impunged millions of law-abiding, peaceful Muslims.

"Mr Prosser agrees that the article did not have balance, and does not represent the views of New Zealand First."

TVNZ reports Peters adding Prosser's comments were a "mistake", but "there is an element of truth to what he is saying."

Twitter reaction to Prosser's column

@ImperatorFish 
Imperator Fish

Richard Prosser is rightly being condemned, but let's also remember who published his racist garbage.

February 12, 2013 6:19 am via web Reply Retweet Favorite

@KelvinNgatiManu 
Kelvin Davis

If Richard Prosser succeeds in getting all extremeists banned from flying, how will he travel?

February 12, 2013 12:26 am via web Reply Retweet Favorite

@TheEgonomist 
The Egonomist

The thing to remember about @Richard_Prosser is not just that he’s a racist, but that he’s very very very very very very stupid

February 12, 2013 12:07 am via Tweetbot for iOS Reply Retweet Favorite

The channel says Prosser's column came after his pocket knife was confiscated at Christchurch Airport, an item he reportedly carried with him on national and international flights without issue "before the world went mad".

Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand president Dr Anwar Ghani described the column as "racist and extremely objectionable."

Dr Ghani warned Stuff Magazine the country could risk losing millions of dollars in business investments and compromise its growing economic relationship with the Middle East.

He said: ''You would expect people that come to Parliament are deep thinking people and they have a wider appreciation of the community in New Zealand and the global socio-political scene.

''His (Prosser's) comments are undermining the peaceful nature we have in this community.''

3News points out Peters's statement stops short of an apology and there has been no further word from Prosser himself.

It surmised: "Presumably he's still angry about his pocket knife."

This led Radio New Zealand to get a response from a very unexpected quarter, British MP George Galloway

Richard Prosser MP finally appeared on Radio New Zealand to get a well-deserved drubbing from Catherine Ryan.

It turns out that not only is Mr. Prosser (who got into parliament with 500 votes) is not only a fascist and a racist – he is also not very intelligent, and not very articulate. To quote the twitter comment above, He is "

very very very very very very stupid"