Anti-Muslim extremism surging in NZ, leaders warn

Threats, hate-fuelled crime and online radicalisation mean the climate is worse than before the March 2019 mosque attacks, they have explained.

Federation of Islamic Associations chairperson Abdur Razzaq said community leaders were preparing to urgently seek a meeting with the Prime Minister.

New Zealand is confronting a dangerous combination of factors: rising online extremism, increasingly younger radicalised offenders, imported far-right ideologies and language feared to be normalising division, the leaders said.

Mr Razzaq described the current climate as “a hate soup boiling over”.

“The police and SIS are doing an amazing job,” he said. “But securitisation alone cannot solve this. We need education, social cohesion programmes and legislative safeguards before this gets worse.”

Funding for social cohesion programmes has dropped and initiatives and resolutions made in the wake of a royal commission after the Christchurch attacks have stalled, he said. Successive governments are responsible for this, he noted.

Chris Penk, the minister responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau and the Security Intelligence Service, said the Government continued to support social cohesion and safety initiatives, noting allocations to the Safer Communities Fund of $5 million in 2024/25 and 2025/26 in recognition of ongoing community concerns.

Mr Penk said the NZSIS “engages regularly with faith-based and ethnic communities to hear their concerns”.

“The Government acknowledges that members of the Muslim community continue to carry the trauma and impact of the 2019 Christchurch terrorist attacks, and community experiences are important to acknowledge and understand,” he said. 

Mr Penk said the current national terrorism threat level remained at “possible”. The 2025 Threat Environment Report does not identify any one ideology as presenting a greater current threat than others, he said.

Mr Penk said if people see something of concern they should report it to police or NZSIS.

FULL STORY

Muslim leaders warn NZ facing worst anti-Muslim extremism in 20 years (By Penelope Smith/Radio New Zealand/Stuff)