Woman in headscarf told to 'go back to your own country' in aggressive incident in New Lynn
A New Zealand-Palestinian family say they feel unsafe in public after one of them was shoved and told to "go back to your own country" by a stranger in an Auckland shopping mall. Saja Mahmoud, 17, said she was shopping with her mother Nadia Ali in Lynnmall this afternoon when they were approached by a middle-aged man. "He was swearing. And then he just started shouting at us 'Go back to your country'," Saja said.
The man then pushed Nadia, who was wearing a headscarf, with enough force to knock her off balance. "She was about to fall and I had to catch her," Saja said. Originally from Palestine, the family moved to New Zealand from Syria five years ago. It was the first time they had been racially abused in this country. The altercation lasted a matter of seconds, but left the family rattled. Saja said the incident was particularly hard after the Christchurch mosque shootings in March.
She believed her mother was targeted because of her headscarf.
"We just feel like what happened in Christchurch, it's just not fair. Losing 50 people here, and now nothing was done here. "I just find that racist. I can't be quiet about it. We don't actually feel safe." They were disappointed that police did not take stronger action against their abuser. A photograph taken of the alleged attacker by the family shows a man dressed in black, in a leather jacket, and wearing glasses. The Human Rights Commission said it had received 295 complaints in the last five years which it categorised as anti-Islamic, though it could not say with certainty whether such incidents were becoming more common. The complaints ranged from a student being called a "terrorist" by fellow students to women being barred from shops because they were wearing a hijab. The commission's figures did not cover the period after the attacks in Christchurch.
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Auckland School Holiday Events
Are you on school holiday duty? Here's some activities to get out of the house for! Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments below.
Sat, 28 Sept: Wild Robot Wonders at the Sky @ Sky Tower
Sat, 28 Sept: Starry Storytime @ Stardome Observatory
Sun, 29 Sept: The Block Dance party @ Aotea Square
Mon, 30 Sept: Cornwall Park Trading Cards @ Huia Lodge Discovery Hub
Mon, 30 Sept: Treasure Hunt @ Corban Estate Arts Centre, Henderson
Tues, 1 Oct: Dance-o-Mat @ Aotea Square
Tues 1 Oct: Rainbow Scultpure @ Aotea Square
Tues 1 Oct: Squiggla workshops @ Pah Homestead
Wed, 2 Oct: Night at the Museum: Time Warp @ Auckland Museum
Wed, 2 Oct: Steampunk a hat @ Northcote Library
Wed, 2 Oct: Make a Wind Vane @ Highwic, Epsom
Thurs, 3 Oct: Film: Peter Rabbit @ Uxbridge, Howick
Thurs, 3 Oct: Back to the Future Scavenger Hunt @ Northcote Library
Fri, 4 Oct: Starry Storytime @ Stardome Observatory
Fri, 4 Oct: The Wonky Donkey Show @ Uxbridge, Howick
Fri, 4 Oct: StarJam performance & games @ Aotea Square
Sat, 5 Oct: Flight Birds Club @ NZ Maritime Museum
Sun, 6 Oct: Make it Loud workshops @ Motat
Mon, 7 Oct: Roving the Red Planet: Robotics session @ Stardome Observatory
Tues, 8 Oct: Theatre: Peter Pan @ ASB Waterfront Theatre
Wed, 9 Oct: Theatre: Mrs Wishy Washy @ The PumpHouse Theatre
Thurs, 10 Oct: Film: Lilo & Stitch @ Uxbridge, Howick
Fri, 11 Oct: Starry Storytime @ Stardome Observatory
Fri, 11 Oct: Wilbur the Big, Not So Bad Wolf @ TAPAC, Western Springs
Sat, 12 Oct: Make butter for fairy bread @ Northcote Library
Sun, 13 Oct: Nature Play @ Myers Park
Sun, 13 Oct: K-Pop Free Dance Party @ Aotea Square
Sun, 13 Oct: Family Games Afternoon @ Mount Roskill Library
Click on your local library to see its upcoming school holiday events:
Albany Village Library, Central City Library, Waiheke Library, Mangere Bridge Library,Warkworth Library, Epsom Library, Botany Library, Highland Park Library, East Coast Bays Library, St Heliers Library, Onehunga LIbrary, Glen Eden Library, Birkenhead Library, Avondale Library, Otahuhu Library, Glenfield Library, Devonport Library, Titirangi Library, Papatoetoe Library, Wellsford Library, Waitakere Central Library, Parnell Library, Manurewa Library, Clendon Library, Takanini Library, Grey Lynn Library, New Lynn Library, Blockhouse Bay Library, Mount Roskill Library. See all Libraries here.
What else is there to do?
Butterfly Creek
Motat
Auckland Zoo
Howick Historical Village
Auckland Art Gallery
Stardome Observatory
Snowplanet
Rainbow's End
Scultptureum
Thrillzone
Kiwi Valley Farm Park
Aotea Square Ice Rink
Got more ideas? Share them below!
Poll: Should employees be able to work from home?
At the post-Cabinet press conference, the National Party asserted they want public sector staff to return to the office. This has opened a conversation about other sectors in New Zealand who have adopted working from home (WFH).
Where possible, do you think employees should be able to work from home? Vote below and share your thoughts in the comments.
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70% Yes
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26.8% No
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3.2% Other - I'll share below
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