Respectful tolerance, misrecognition, and religious diversity: reflections on the New Zealand government’s response to the 2019 Christchurch massacre

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper shows that the traditional framing of diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand in terms of ethnicity hampers the government’s ability to give due recognition to Muslim communities in the wake of the Christchurch massacre. It first examines the New Zealand government’s response to the Royal Commission’s inquiry into the massacre with specific focus on the establishment of the Ministry of Ethnic Communities. The analysis draws from government documents and data, media reports, and nine semi-structured qualitative interviews with members of Muslim communities in the South Island of New Zealand. It then examines the participants’ responses to two questions: first, whether they think the government leadership has done enough to promote respectful tolerance and second, the key factor or factors they believe need to be addressed for New Zealand to become a more tolerant society. The article highlights how the government’s failure to listen attentively has led to the misrecognition and non-recognition of Muslim communities to the detriment of its stated goals of promoting religious tolerance, social cohesion, and inclusion in the interests of national security.