Feeling unsafe
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Feeling unsafe
Feeling unsafe due to religious beliefs, racial identity, gender, age and community were all given as examples where participants expressed fear for their personal safety. Jewish and Muslim participants spoke to feeling unsafe while at religious services, and being visible in public spaces. Participants from the travelling community spoke of being physically attacked and accused of trespassing.
Fear also stops people from belonging. Kids who don’t want to be open about their sexuality in our community.
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Fear also stops people from belonging. Kids who don’t want to be open about their sexuality in our community.
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Safe, secure, and connected. If you don’t feel those things, it’s difficult to be in a position to learn. The same in life, if you don’t feel those things, there’s going to be more fear and anxiety.
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A few in the Jewish community would be open about being Jewish. Where her family dental practice is, the Jewish community room is above it. Wanted to do it for tourists, coming from Israel. Jewish community said they would feel unsafe to come to one of the services there. So we didn’t. Put the Hanukia up on the second floor balcony. Community thought they shouldn’t do that, it would draw attention. But nothing negative happened, they got a few questions.
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I feel comfortable but on the other hand I am not feeling safe. I am happy and safe here, but i am worried.[refugee related]
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But kids with major problems create an issue of safety for other kids who fear those who are louder and act like it's their territory. Not a lot of positive youth culture here.
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Getting very difficult to find common places where people can come together in the way I spoke of [travellers]. When everyone I know is getting kicked out from the places where we gather, and I get left alone with a bunch on strangers and I feel unsafe.
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The park is a real problem and no one seems to take responsibility for the kids and horrible things happen there.
There were some adults who beat up some guy who owed them money in broad daylight in front of kids. Police don’t take responsibility.
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The impact of March 15
Despite an outpouring of support for the Muslim community following the March 15 terrorist attacks, there is still fear. Participants shared that while there were many good words and lots of meetings, the reality of feeling unsafe is unchanged - and sometimes worse. Participants shared awareness that March 15 was a sign of a larger problem for non-white people in Aotearoa New Zealand.
We have a few international students who have been told by families there may be some events like Christchurch - and so those international students won’t come.
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We have a few international students who have been told by families there may be some events like Christchurch - and so those international students won’t come.
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When they walk back home at night wearing hijab, they are harassed sometimes - even physically.
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To be honest being a Muslim girl in a small city is hard, after 15 March people more open and more racist.
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I feel before Christchurch, it was more accommodating and now after, we get some problems from different people. A few of our community members have problems, we don't know why. Hard for families to make friends with other non-Muslim families.
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It is a bit of an iceberg, on the surface it’s fine but we haven’t recognized how deep it is. Innocence has been lost since March 15.
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Suppressing that part of your identity, especially after March 15th. I love the traditional clothing, but I feel more safe in Western clothes.
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I wore a salwar kameez after March 15, but I hated it and hated how I felt. No, people didn’t make comments. I did everyday things - walking dog, picking up kids, because I felt you know the white body is considered the norm, and I’m a deviation. I felt less human so what are people gonna think of me? Are they gonna assume I can't speak English? I have a lot of Pakeha friends, but I don't know if they would’ve been with me if I wore a salwar kameez and had a thick accent. I’ve been really questioning some of my friendships of late.
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Ignorance. Before the March 15th massacre last year, what did people know about Muslim people? The jokes would go down, “you’re a terrorist.” We grew up in this mono linguistic society and you either fit this or you didn’t.
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