Careful Handling Urged Over Religious And Race Issues
By Rob Olsen.
Published in The Wellingtonian Newspaper, February 16, 2006
New Zealand's growing cultural diversity raises serious questions
about the way the media, educators and other sectors handle issues
around religion and race.
Victoria University professor of religious studies Paul Morris says
New Zealand is becoming a very multi-cultural country - going from one
Muslim recorded in the 1901 census to as many as 40,000 now. The country is
going to have to reflect on its multi-culturalism in terms of public policy,
which raises issues for many sectors such as the media.
He was commenting after the storm of protest in a number of countries
including in New Zealand, after media published a series of cartoons of
the prophet Muhammad.
The caricatures were published on television news and in The Dominion
Post in Wellington and The Press in Christchurch. Both papers have
agreed not to republish the cartoons after a forum involving them, other
media and community and religious leaders, convened by the Race Relations Commissioner.
Mr Morris says, in his view, "we should take very seriously the freedom of the press and recognise that it
and freedom of expression are not absolute rights and should be tempered with other rights and norms of
society".
He says media have an enormous responsibility to inform, be accurate,
educate and include cultures and religions rather than alienate and marginalise.
Mr Morris does not think much has been gained by publishing the
cartoons but is cheered by the response from New Zealanders over the
issue. He says the recent forum was a good way to deal with it. Generally
groups within New Zealand reacted well, which Mr Morris put down to
trust, networks, personal and face-to-face contact, "which sets us apart from
other countries".
"It's clear that Muslim people are very, very upset." He says though there is a long history of
satire in the West regarding clergymen and religion and it is part of western society, there is no parallel
in the Muslim world.
Should they just toughen up and get used to it? "There's a real case for
cultural sensitivity," says Mr Morris.
"We are naturally ignorant about Muslims. It would be more helpful for
media to embark on a campaign of information about Islam."
Javed Khan, president of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New
Zealand says there has been a lot of feedback from Muslims in Wellington and around New Zealand over the
publication of the cartoons.
"People are upset and annoyed especially given the fact that a warning
had been given that it was not a good idea to publish them.
"People feel that there are legitimate grounds to be aggrieved."
He acknowledges the freedom of the press but says the cartoons' publication was intended to provoke the
feelings of Muslims.
He says no other action - apart from the protest march held in Auckland - is planned over the matter.
"People are pretty much aware of our feelings and we have demonstrated our disappointment."
Reproduced with permission of the Editor of The Wellingtonian.
Copyright © The Wellingtonian 2006.
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