Friday, December 11, 2015



This isn't helping

Speaking of ham-fisted anti-terror measures increasing radicalisation, Radio New Zealand has the appalling story of a kiwi Muslim questioned at the airport after visiting her family in Iraq. There seems to have been no justification for this questioning, and its primary effect is to reinforce the perception that Muslims aren't real kiwis and are enemies of the state who will not be left to live their lives in peace. Which is not exactly going to encourage a positive perception of the state which bullies them in this way, or encourage them to volunteer information which may result in others being similarly bullied.

Countering terrorism ultimately depends on community cooperation. And you don't get that by victimising and bullying an entire community. Instead, that just makes things worse. We have only to look at the UK or Australia for the consequences.