Show of Support, or Creeping Sharia in New Zealand?

The nation of New Zealand continues to mourn over the massacre of last week. Today several minutes of silence took place, along with Muslim prayer. While one can understand some of this, certain questions nonetheless arise here. One way to look at all this – from a religious point of view at least – is as follows. Consider this headline and news story from just hours ago:

Israelites Pray To Baal In Show of Unity

Israel has paused for two minutes of silence to commemorate the 50 victims of the Shechem altar killings. Thousands of people gathered at Friday prayers in Ashtoreth Plains across from the El Baal temple, a week after a lone killer entered and speared Baalist worshippers in the deadliest terrorist attack in the country’s history. The call to prayer was broadcast throughout Israel and Judah. Israel King Ahab and Queen Jezebel led approximately 5,000 people in the ceremony in the plain. “Israel mourns with you. We are one,” they said.

OK, so you will not quite find this news item online, nor in your Bibles for that matter. But you will find something just about the same in today’s news:

New Zealand has paused for two minutes of silence to commemorate the 50 victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings. Thousands of people gathered at Friday prayers in Hagley Park across from the Al Noor mosque, a week after a lone gunman entered and shot worshippers in the deadliest terrorist attack in the country’s history. The call to prayer was broadcast live on New Zealand television and radio. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern led approximately 5,000 people in the ceremony in the park. “New Zealand mourns with you. We are one,” she said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-22/new-zealand-pays-tribute-to-christchurch-victims-in-ceremony/10929060

My satirical analogy is not perfect – most analogies are not – but you might get the gist of what I am trying to do here. And I am seeking to do a few things. First, not everyone was thrilled with Ardern’s show of solidarity and oneness with the nation’s Muslims.

It is one thing to offer official sympathy and support for a minority group as they grieve. And plenty of that has already happened in New Zealand. Fair enough. But it is quite another to in effect blur the lines separating church and state – or in this case, mosque and state – which the secular left is forever insisting we must never do.

But I am not aware of any of these lefties howling down the Prime Minister for doing this. Where are all the protests by angry atheists denouncing her for turning New Zealand into a theocracy? Where is the leftist media when you need them? They should be leading the charge in criticising this clear case of the state jumping into bed with religion.

But another point to make is the fact that Muslims make up just one per cent of New Zealand’s population. Christians make up around 50 per cent. One wonders if Christianity would get so much attention, honour, respect and emphasis if a church was shot up and Christians killed.

Of course if a Christian wants to show respect for the fallen by observing a moment of silence, that is one thing. But partaking in the offering of Muslim prayers, which are hardly inclusive nor an example of pluralism and tolerance, is quite another.

One Christian leader at least made his voice heard loud and clear on this. As one news report puts it:

Bishop Brian Tamaki says he “strongly denounces” the Islamic Call to Prayer ahead of the two minutes of silence being held for the victims of the Christchurch terror attacks today. “Today for at least a moment New Zealand will become an Islamic nation,” Mr Tamaki, who heads Destiny Church, says. “It would be disingenuous for me as a Christian leader in this nation for near forty years to stay silent about what I believe is highly offensive to all Christians in this nation.”

He says it is important to reiterate that he and his church condemned the shootings. “Man Up and Destiny Church members in Christchurch have been tireless on the ground, in offering love and support to the Muslim community and the victim’s families, with food, prayer and compassion, and organising the Haka of Hope and Ride of Hope as covered by TV1 and TV3.

“To say I, or Destiny Church, are disrespectful at this time, or do not care, would be incorrect,” he says. Mr Tamaki praised Jacinda Ardern’s response to the tragedy. “The nation has mourned, and our Prime Minister, Jacinda Adern, stepped up as a symbol of national unity and healing. She received praise from across the political spectrum, including from me, and rightly so.”

His concern is the “declaration over the nation”. “Out of the Islamic prayer ‘Allah is the only true God. There is none worthy of being worshipped except Allah’.” Mr Tamaki says no Muslim country would ever allow for Christ to be proclaimed as the “one true god” in any shape or form in their country at all. “This only highlights the identity crisis we face and a loss of conviction to our beliefs as a nation. We need to be far more secure in what we believe as a nation,” he says.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/destinys-brian-tamaki-strongly-denounces-use-islamic-call-prayer-victims-christchurch-terror-attacks?fbclid=IwAR1Yj7WYsroqUz_ST742yWt39OsQcKU8ErL_wXEWPzBWoivHvublCanIziU

I do not know much about this church leader, but I believe he is basically right to be concerned about all this. The Christian does not go along with pretending that all religions are the same or that all gods are identical. Christians affirm the one true God, and will bow down to no other.

Thus my opening satire. Imagine reading about something like that in the Old Testament. And if we did, it would have been a prime example of how Israel had lost her way, and was bringing upon itself Yahweh’s just judgment. As I said, no analogy is foolproof. New Zealand is not like ancient Israel, but still, God’s people at least should choose to not get involved in interfaith activities and the like that minimise their Lord while elevating other faiths that are diametrically opposed to biblical Christianity.

And of course this is not the only example of creeping sharia there. Ardern has already been shown in public with a head covering on, and she has been gushing about the benefits of Islam in New Zealand. I don’t recall her doing or saying anything similar when it comes to Christianity. Watch for even more fallout, including more crackdowns on the ability of concerned citizens to share criticisms of Islam.

In the meantime, this just in: yet another clampdown on free speech in New Zealand. It seems that Jordan Peterson’s best-selling book is now the subject of a witch-hunt there – at least in some quarters. Check out this shocking news item:

Major book seller Whitcoulls has pulled a Jordan Peterson book off its shelves following the Christchurch Mosque attacks. The controversial celebrity psychologist toured New Zealand in February, weeks before 50 people were killed and dozens injured in terrorist attacks at two mosques in Christchurch. During his tour Peterson was photographed with a fan wearing a T-shirt that read: “I’m a proud Islamaphobe”, along with other derogatory comments about Muslims.

In an email to customers a Whitcoulls spokeswoman said his book “12 Rules for Life” was currently unavailable. “A decision that Whitcoulls has made in light of some extremely disturbing material being circulated prior, during and after the Christchurch attacks. As a business which takes our responsibilities to our communities very seriously, we believe it would be wrong to support the author at this time.” Social media users have been quick to point out the book store continues to sell books such as Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12215124

Mein Kampf indeed! Why does this decision remind us of what transpired in Germany in the 30s and 40s? Will public book burnings be next in the streets of New Zealand? And will bookstore owners – of all people – lead the way? Good grief!

These are very scary times indeed my friends, and the days are certainly getting darker. While we continue to pray for all those still grieving so bitterly, we also need to be keeping a close eye on creeping sharia and the erosion of our freedoms.

Update

I have just added a pic from the New Zealand evening news. Now this is scary – nothing but full-tilt dhimmitude! Are they all dhimmis now in New Zealand?

[1404 words]

28 Replies to “Show of Support, or Creeping Sharia in New Zealand?”

  1. I find it interesting that Ardern left the Mormon church in which she was raised because of its stance on homosexuality, which is nothing that would be out of place in any Christian church.

    Yet here she is openly embracing Islam. Has anyone told her how Islam treats homosexuals? Is she aware that Islamic teachings treat homosexuals quite a bit worse than Mormons or any of the various denominations within Christendom?

    Methinks that Ardern doesn’t really have any firm beliefs, but is tossed around with whatever seems politically expedient at the time.

  2. Raised as a Mormon, Ardern now identifies as an agnostic. She split from the LDS after choosing between right living or homosexuality & political favor in the NZ Labour Party. She chose the latter.
    In 2008 Jacinda Ardern was elected the President of the International Union of Socialist Youth.
    Her Labour Socialist worldview possibly has more direct import to her rejecting anything resembling Christianity (Mormonism is a cult) & embracing political Islam as a Socialist virtue signal.
    How she can do that and holding on to gay rights is a contradiction that only something Socialists seem capable of doing.
    New Zealand has produced many fine international Christian ministers & ministries, but the silence is deafening, on this side of the ditch at least, from the NZ church on this call to Islam’s Prayer being foisted onto the public.

  3. Another fine piece Bill. Totally agree PM Ardern has gone way too far. Many Christians I expect would be ashamed of her disrespect for their religion by her complete subservience to ISLAM.
    While we mourn for the dead there must be some limits retained.
    God bless
    Phil
    Please pray for the Liberals and Paul Green CDP in NSW. We don’t want Labor in control in NSW

  4. No Christian should ever enter a mosque.

    Australia’s Prime Minister entered Lakemba Mosque this week.

  5. I’ve been reading a few other comments about Ardern’s capitulation to Islam, and the thought occurred to me what her motivation may be – Islamophobia. No not the trendy left meaning of the word, where it is used to describe anyone who has a dislike for the teachings of Islam. I mean the literal meaning of the word – fear of Islam.

    I think she is terrified of Islamic reprisals. Scared witless that the soldiers of Jihad will enact revenge for the deaths of their brethren. Petrified that she herself could be a target. So in light of that she is doing all she can toward appeasement. Of course, as Churchill said, an appeaser is one who feeds the crocodile in the hope it eats him last. She doesn’t fear the right, because she knows that they rarely act, so she is prepared to throw them under the bus, in the hope it will appease the Muslims enough to avoid a revenge attack. Of course, if history is any guide, appeasement is futile and is merely seen as a demonstration of weakness. Troubling times ahead.

  6. Well said, Bill. As a PM, Ardern has a responsibility to govern for all people and represent her country on the global arena. If she is going to observe Muslim headwear and broadcast worship to Allah, why does she also not balance that with a renunciation of attacks on Christians and Jews in other parts of the world? She is supposed to represent Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, secularists and yes Islamists, but she comes across as a devout Muslim. As you point out, one Christian leader speaks out and he is being pilloried for standing up for his own faith and critiquing the strange elevation of Islam in a mostly Christian country. Is he not permitted to voice his opinion? The strangest thing is the absolute lightning speed at which this has all occurred. Literally overnight. I think we will all have to prepare ourselves for sudden events and rapid transformations in the world around us. It is a far different world than any of us would have imagined twenty years ago.

  7. Talk about bending over backwards, God made me to bend forward, sideways, but never backwards, we all know what happens when we bend over backwards, and it hurts when you land.
    Truly, dark days ahead.
    john 16:33 “…In the world you will have trouble, but be courageous—I have overcome the world!”

  8. According to this there has been some unexpected objections to the sudden fashion of wearing Islamic headscarves (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-22/headscarves-in-solidarity-with-muslim-women-after-mosque-attack/10929734):
    “In an unsigned opinion piece on Stuff.co.nz, a Muslim woman called the movement “cheap tokenism. The attack in Christchurch was not just about Muslims, it was against any person of colour in a ‘white’ country so this focus on hijabs is derailing the examination of white supremacy, systematic racism, Orientalism and bigotry,” she said.”
    “Mehrbano Malik, a 22-year-old woman from Pakistan also writing for Stuff.co.nz, said while she was “deeply touched by the sentiment”, the #headscarfforharmony movement reflected “Orientalist ideologies. There are many, many Muslim women who do not veil,” she wrote. Can I respectfully ask those thinking of participating in #scarvesinsolidarity [to] please also consider that millions of #Muslim #women do not wear [the] hijab, don’t want [to] wear it, [and] many like #NasrinSotoudeh take great risks [to] defend this opposition?” she wrote on Twitter.”
    “The United Nations Special Rapporteur for Culture, Karima Bennoune, took to Twitter to challenge the movement, pointing to the case of Nasrin Sotoudeh, who was convicted and faces years in prison for defending women who took part in a viral protest against mandatory headscarves in Iran.”
    “Asra Nomani, a former journalist in Washington, who has campaigned for Muslim reform, urged women not to wear a headscarf for harmony. “It is a symbol of purity culture antithetical to feminist values. We have women in jail and dead, for refusing the interpretation of Islam you promote,” Professor Nomani said on Twitter.”

    Still, what’s been happening in NZ is bewildering.

  9. Apparently a Muslim prayer was said in the NZ parliament. It wasn’t too long ago that all Christian prayer in Parliament was removed.

    Have you noticed the barrage of silence regarding the hundreds of Christians who were murdered in Nigeria recently?

    It would appear the lamestream media is doing a good job of living up to its reputation once again.

  10. Yes
    We stands Against the killings of Innocents women and children and men in the Noor Mosque by one lone man
    But to Surrender our Worships of our God and Savior Jesus Christ Righteousness to the hands of the god of ISLAM Lucifer aka Allah aka Satan?
    No Thanks
    I just wondered if the people of New Zealand AOTEA ROA knows that the Parliamentary has Removed the Lord’s Prayer and replace it with the ISLAM’S?

    So it’s very very very True SHARI’A LAW’S hopefully will not be implemented in our legal systems

  11. I am a New Zealander. Born and bred. I am sad for the families, affected by the killings, last week, but the way our PM and the people, have gone over board, with headscarves and prayers, is very worrying !

  12. I was against this virtue signalling by these women wearing hijabs but after speaking to my priest my view has change.

    He reminded me Our Blessed Mother Mary covered her head in line with local custom and even though it is not required these days many Christian women in and from Lebanon, Palestine and Egypt wear head coverings to show their modesty in accordance with 1 Corinthians 11:6. (It confuses a lot of people when they see a woman with a covered head praying at a Coptic or Maronite church!)

    He also says that instead of attacking women for dressing in a biblical way, we should use this as an opportunity to evangelise and to start a conversation about why they should turn away from the secular world’s sexualisation of women and girls and encourage them to dress more modestly every day and not just on that one day.

    What do you all think?

  13. Thanks Michael. Well you DID ask me what I think, so I will reply! On this issue, sadly, I believe both you are your priest are rather off the mark. Indeed, it is odd that you insist that no Christian can ever enter a mosque (please show us chapter and verse on this from the New Testament) while you are seemingly clueless on the matter of Islamic head coverings especially. Very briefly, no: Christian women choosing to wear scarves is not at all similar to the oppressive head coverings Muslim women are forced to wear. I have just penned a new article explaining all this in some detail. I urge you to read it carefully: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2019/03/23/no-christian-women-wearing-scarves-is-not-the-same-as-muslim-women-wearing-the-hijab/

  14. Another article, supporting what Bill is saying.
    (BTW Not Jacinda Ardern, but now Jacinda Adhan.)
    Troubling signs New Zealand shooting is being used to turn my country into Islamic State
    Michelle Kaufman – LifeSiteNews
    I live in New Zealand. I’ve become alarmed at developments in my country since the shootings last Friday. What I see unfolding seems so disproportionate to the magnitude of the crime. It seems like I’ve woken up and all of a sudden live in an Islamic State.

    Here are some highlights of what’s unfolding: . . . .

    https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/troubling-signs-new-zealand-shooting-is-being-used-to-turn-my-country-into-islamic-state

  15. Thanks Bill, for your reply and for your next post.

    Obviously there’s nothing in the NT forbidding a Christian entering a mosque because mosques didn’t exist when the NT was written.

    There is one acceptable reason to visit a mosque and that is to bear witness unsaved souls.

    I like John Piper’s take on this:

    We are to do everything we do for the glory of God and in the name of Jesus (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17). It is a sign of terrible cultural captivity and spiritual obliviousness if a Christian can go to a shrine of another religion and not feel both the heartbreak at the millions who are deceived by this religion and caution about the supernatural demonic powers of deception.

    For the Muslims the Prime Minister with the eyes of the nation on him visiting Lakemba Mosque and not bearing Christian witness, that is a massive P.R. win for them. Like just about everything about Christchurch.

  16. Thanks again Michael. Yes, which is why I took issue to your earlier comments where you insisted that a Christian could/should NEVER enter a mosque! There may be a time and a place for it, especially if God so leads.

  17. Thanks Bill.
    It is easy to see why you have a following. There is always so much information that is not so easily available to us, and then there is the way you put it together. Always helpful and insightful, and always with the ring of truth.

    “I am not aware of any of these lefties howling down the Prime Minister for doing this.”
    Bill, do I detect surprise or disappointment?

    We have here another strong indication that the “LEFT” care little for principle, …whatever principle, any principle, every principle.
    For the “LEFT” it has always to do with what feels good.

    This NZ out-gushing of sympathy with all of its showy demonstration feels good, there is no principled thought behind it, beside it, in front of it, below it. or above it. You see if there was, there might be a nasty thing called a disagreement, or even nastier, an argument.

    The “LEFT’S” opposition to all things “RIGHT” likewise is not out of principle. We kid ourselves if we think it is. The opposition is because we dare to say that this, or that, is not right, or that this, or that, should be done. The application of “NO” and “aught” is always a hurtful thing to the “LEFT”. It cuts across what they feel they want to do. This feeling thing applies to all areas of “leftist” thinking as far as I can see. It applies to “Climate Change” and it applies to “Cultural Marxism”, it applies equally to “Abortion” and Euthanasia”.

    Our saying that things are right or wrong, hopefully is always out of principle, always out of facts, always out of the truth.

    So then, provided there is no immediate sanction, and only good feelings, who cares about the joining of Mosque and State. The separation of Church and State is only ever maintained as being a bad thing when the Church is perceived as being about to speak out of principle and truth.

  18. I confess I’ve been following the NZ dhimmitude with an extreme degree of frustration. The only thing I can conclude is that it reflects the extreme spiritual blindness engulfing the country. We are seeing gross double standards and unabashed hypocrisy.

    If you think book stores (which are profit driven) are bad then you may not want to investigate your local public library! I recall one library professional arguing that while libraries should be adamantly opposed to censorship, and should include offensive material, there’s no requirement to stock ‘fraudulent’ content such as YEC items or those trying to help people escape homosexual or trans lifestyles. Boycotting pro-God\pro-reality content isn’t censorship apparently. 🙁

  19. Don’t worry New Zealand will be back to worshipping Rugby Union in no time and to a lesser extent Rugby League.

  20. The tokenism of NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
    NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wore a hijab which the Islamic people of the Christchurch Mosque do value as part of the Mohammedan faith for their women. However, NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has promised (Feb 2018) to reform New Zealand’s abortion laws this parliamentary term, along with two other big social reforms: euthanasia and medicinal cannabis. Both abortion and euthanasia are against the values of Islam/Islamic New Zealanders in the Christchurch mosque. Therefore Jacinda Ardern is a big hypocrite. https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/jacinda-ardern-committed-abortion-law-reform-but-nationals-leadership-candidates-all-object

  21. Antoinette Michael, I wonder if her newfound friendship with Islam may serve to limit her reforms in those areas. I’m mindful of the UK, where Christians who complained about homosexual education in schools were basically told “shut up you bigots”, whereas some schools have listened to the complaints of Muslims, and are starting to wind back homosexual education. There is certainly a better chance of Ardern listening to the complaints of the Islamic community, than of her listening to the complaints from the Christian community. I don’t know that I’d go so far as to say the Islamic community are our allies in these types of social issues, but because it is “cool” amongst the leftist political elite to be bigoted against Christianity, the Islamic community is in a position where their complaints are more likely to carry weight with the left, and thus they are helpful in our battles.

  22. Thanks for discerning comment. I am greatly concerned at how easily we New Zealanders take our freedom for granted that we don’t recognise the peril of complacency. The mainstream of New Zealanders who are responsible, accountable and reliable in ensuring that life continues to provide stability know the cost of achieving that – consistency. Our country exists because of the principles expressed in our national anthem through ethics based on truth that wisdom ( or common sense ) upholds. We have a Christian faith and the freedom to exercise it along with those of other faiths. New Zealand is a special nation built by people with a vision and the courage to make it happen and one would hope those who have the responsibility of leading this nation care for it with the esteem it deserves.
    We value those who question views that threaten our hard won independence and give voice to the truth.

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