Muslims call on minister to apologise for jokes

Maurice Williamson

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Muslim community leaders are demanding an apology from Building Minister Maurice Williamson over his "totally inappropriate and offensive" jokes to a builders' awards ceremony.

The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand is seeking advice from the Human Rights Commission about laying a complaint.

Mr Williamson cracked jokes about Muslims at the ceremony in Auckland last month. He also asked MC Oscar Kightley, Samoan star of Sione's Wedding, if his "papers were in order".

Prime Minister John Key yesterday shrugged off the comments – in which Mr Williamson joked about stoning – despite the New Zealand Government's petitioning of Iran about the practice.

Mother-of-two Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani has been sentenced to death by stoning and her family fear she will be executed this week. New Zealand expressed disapproval about stoning to the United Nations Human Rights Commission in February.

Asked about Mr Williamson's jokes, Mr Key quipped to reporters yesterday: "In the last 12 months I think he's managed to cause offence to the Jews and the Arabs, so it's one-all at this stage."

Only about 20 per cent of Muslims live in the Middle East. Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand president Anwar Ghani said the group would be writing to Mr Key and Ethnic Affairs Minister Pansy Wong.

"I felt it was totally inappropriate and extremely offensive coming from a senior minister of the Government," Dr Ghani said.

It was "really unfortunate" that Mr Williamson made fun of a minority community on the basis of its religion "while the Government is trying to build bridges with interfaith dialogue in the Pacific region. I think the appropriate thing is for him to apologise to Muslim New Zealanders".

Federation chief executive Sultan Eusoff said Mr Williamson had been "very silly". "As a holder of high office I would have thought he would be more sensitive."

Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres said Mr Williamson's remark to Mr Kightley was "a bit off". "I would agree [with Mr Kightley] that it was a bit fresh."

He said making puns about Sunnis and Shi'ites "is neither here nor there". However, he though it was "in pretty poor taste" to make jokes about stoning. "Cabinet ministers probably have to exercise a little more judgment than others."

A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said New Zealand made a statement to the United Nations voicing "strong opposition" to stoning in February after a review of Iran's human rights.

"We have continued to directly raise at the highest level with the Iranian government the abhorrent practice of stoning, through our embassy in Tehran. We will continue to use every appropriate opportunity to raise with the Iranians directly and through multi-lateral settings our opposition."