In running the “jihadi brides” nonsense the government was lying by omission to try and drum up fear of some kind – any kind – of “terrorist” link with NZ. The distress caused to our Muslim community was obvious at the time, see: Shocked Muslim community wants proof of NZ jihadi brides, Call for proof of NZ ‘jihadist brides’, Politicans and Muslim community leaders are at odds over existence of Kiwi ‘Jihadi brides’, and other similar pieces.
At no time did Key or the Nats let on that the so called “jihadi brides” were not resident in NZ. Now that the truth is out there are calls to apologise for the offense:
Stop ‘fear-mongering’ about Muslims
The Islamic Women’s Council says the government needs to stop “fear-mongering” after it inaccurately implied women were leaving New Zealand to become “jihadi brides”
The government has said it did not deliberately mislead the public with suggestions last year that New Zealand Muslim women were leaving to become jihadi brides to Islamic fighters.
Of course they did. Everyone believed something that wasn’t true. That’s because they were deliberately misled.
Islamic Women’s Council spokesperson Anjum Rahman told Morning Report the initial information was a real shock, and they had queried whether it was true.
Finding out the women were not leaving from New Zealand had left them feeling very disappointed, she said.
“Those kinds of statements put a spotlight on our community. They have impact on our daily lives and the way that we’re treated in the community. “To put out that information without including this vital fact is hugely unfair.” …
So will the Nats do the decent thing? Hah hah, silly question:
No apology from govt over ‘jihadi brides’ claims
Earlier today, Prime Minister John Key denied he was scaremongering when discussing New Zealand women travelling to Syria and Iraq as “jihadi brides”.
Of course he was scaremongering.
Chris Finlayson, the Minister in charge of the SIS, told reporters today where the women left from was irrelevant.
Of course it was relevant.
But he [Finlayson] said the government had nothing to apologise for. “You just don’t go round handing out apologies willy-nilly.”
No, you only apologise to pet attack bloggers that you have upset. The distress and offense caused to the local Muslim community can be just shrugged off it would seem.
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