NZ Media and Maori Muslims

In Peace and Love I greet all who read this

I grow tired. It is exhausting, continually responding to the Media hype about Maori in Islaam. In my small view this is fuelled only by bias, slant and sensationalism.

The media puts it like Islaam is something new and foreign even though Islaam has been in Aotearoa since the 1800S.

I am yet to read a raft of stories of Maori converts to Scientology, The Bahai Faith, Hare Krishna Faith, Judaism and Buddhism, Assemblies of God, Jehovah’s witnesses, LDS Church etc. I have met many Maori in these faiths, but the Media seems to have no interest in them whatsoever.

The media IS interested in painting young converts to Islaam as terrorists. The media does want everyone to fear Muslims and those who convert to Islaam.

It’s weird how Media will ask Maori Muslim converts if they want to join ISIS, But won’t ask Maori Catholics about Child sex abuses or Maori Buddhists about joining the murderous monks in Myanmar. Maori Christians will never be asked if they support the African terrorists who say they do things for Jesus Christ, A Maori convert to Judaism is never asked if they support the ‘Jewish Taskforce’ or if they want to go join the Israeli Defence Force. Maori LDS are never put in front of the media and asked about Polygamy or historic Church racism.

NONE of these are frequent Media events or stories.

WHY??? Because we already KNOW and accept that Extremism is in all Religions, All Groups and ALL Organisations, and that adherents of these don’t ever support Extreme or Extremist behaiviour insomuch as it has NO Bearing on them or their practice of their faith.

-

Maori Converts to Islaam are like like Maori converts to ANY Religion. They are seeking a form of spirituality. They are seeking a form of community.

This isn’t a rejection of Marae, Hapuu, Iwi or other Whanau structures. This does NOT represent a rejection of Te Reo me ona Tikanga.

The media will speak to Maori Muslims who were in Prison or work in Prisons, BEFORE they speak to the Maori Muslims Mums, Gym lover or Educated Maori Muslims.

I know Maori converts to Islaam, who are teachers in Kura and Kohanga reo. I know Maori converts to Islaam who love the Gym like anyone else. I know Maori converts who are some of the coolest Mums. There are many many converts like this, I acknowledge them.

-

I LOVE how Maori people are embracing many many different religions, or exploring our Ancient Tikanga or who have no faith or religious affiliation at all. Maori are diverse in views, religiously, socially, politically and in all other ways. THIS IS AMAZING.

-

I just wish that the Media had this same understanding too, but let Maori in Islaam just live their normal lives like any other Maori.

He aha te mea nui o te Ao?? He tangata, He tangata He Tangata.

OKA WHENUA, OKA MOANA

This is a haka I just wrote
I am not a seasoned writer of haka and this is my VERY FIRST attempt.
The haka is short but carries a message expressing a Maori opinion on Deep Sea Oil Drilling
-

HAKA

OKA WHENUA, OKA MOANA

Na TeRata Hikairo 2015

I te timatanga,

Na nga Atua, whakaataahua,

To ratou whaea

A Papatuanuku

Ma Tane, te whakakaakahu

Ma Hine-Moana e piata ai te wai

Ma taatou, nga Uri

E whakamana ai ratou

Me te tiaki to tatou Whaea, a Papatuanuku

-

I te mea, ko ia te Whaea

Na wai te whakaaro o te OKA???

Te okaina ai to taatou Whaea,

Te okaina i te Moana.

Oka te Ngakau

Okaina te Pito,

Okaina kia

Kohuru a Ruaumoko

Okaina te Tangata

Rere ai te Toto,

Okaina te Whenua

Rere ai te Hinu.

Ko nga hua he rite,

Rite ai nga hua

Mate ai Whenua

Mate ai te Tangata,

HI HA AUE HA HI!!!!!

___

Translation

In the beginning, the task of the Gods was to beautify their mother

Their Mother Papatuanuku.

Tane’s task was to clothe,

Hine-Moana’s task was to make the water sparkle.

We who descend from the Gods,

Must honour them by continuing this sacred task.

If Papatuanuku is our mother,

Who could think to STAB her???

To stab the Earth and

To stab the Sea.

Stab (her) heart

Stab (her) navel

Stabbing and murdering (her baby)

Ruaumoko

If a person is stabbed, blood flows

If the earth is stabbed then Oil flows.

The result is the same,

You get the same result

If the Earth dies

Then People will die

Northland By-Election 2015

NB I am not on the General roll, I haven't ever voted for National, I am not a National Party member or anything like that.
-
Have a wee look at this Wikipedia entry on the Electorate of Northland

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northland_(New_Zealand_electorate)

Now see these official results from last year
http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2014/electorate-35.html

There was a clear winner in Party vote AND Electorate vote
-

According to that SAME Wikipedia entry, the last time the National Party candidate faced a really serious contender in 2005, the National candidate STILL got a clear 16,000 votes and had a clear win.
-

I KNOW that Winston Peters is an incredible contender for the seat of Northland, he is formidable, opinionated and a very polarising personality.

But last year his Party got less than 5000 votes in Northland, where as National got triple that.

AND in my opinion, Northland voters will think 'If Winston, good as he is, really cared for Northland why has he never stood in the general roll Northland seat before now????".... AND "Can we really let him upset the precarious balance of the John Key-led Government????"
-

The seat of Northland IS a SAFE National seat.
-

The Labour candidate is an amazing women, the Act Candidate is not well known and neither in the MANA Candidate.
-

National and their big farmer man have this sown up.. Yes they had the the big guns out today with the Prime Minister, but that was more a show of a commitment to the Electorate more than anything else.

-

This is just my small opinion, we'll wait and see how this really turns out.

Prayers for Chapel Hill

Below is a press release I did as soon as I found out. It was sent to NZ and International media and was completely ignored

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ‎

Na te Atua I homai, Na te Atua ano e tango.

-

Ka tangi te ngakau mo te tokotoru I puhia, kei Amerika. No Ngai Iharaima katoa ratou.

Ka tuku aroha ki nga whanau pani, I raro I te kapua o te pouriuri, I roto I te mamae.

Ki ahau nei, kaore I kore, he ‘tukino mauahara’ tenei.

Ka tangi te ngakau mo nga hunga katoa, ki te ao whanui e mate penei ai.

Ko te mea noaiho hei whakapiki ano te hari, ko taua mohiotanga, hei te Ra Whakawa, te Ra o te Orangatonutanga, ka whiwhi taatou katou te Utu mai i te Atua Kaharawa, moo u matou mahi katoa, ki runga I te mata o te whenua.

-

I express profound sadness over the 3 who were shot in America. They are Muslim.

My love goes out to the grieving families who must be overcome with sadness at this time.

To me, there is no doubt that this was a dreadful hate crime.

I mourn for all who die like this across the earth.

The only consolation is the sacred knowledge of the Day of Resurrection and Judgement, whereby all shall receive JUST Consequences for all actions on Earth, and such justice can only be administered by Almighty God.

TeRata Hikairo

Maori Muslim

Reverse Colonization?????

I am only expressing my own views.

This is still in line with all other views in previous blogs on Tino Rangatiratanga and Politics.

I guess I am more providing some clarity.

My heart still aches and weeps regularly for the murderous wars of colonization, slavery, rapes, abuses, stealing of land and the destroying of whole civilizations. This greatly angers me.

Equally, I am saddened at the ongoing modern effects of Colonization, like suicide, broken families, domestic violence, poverty of mind and circumstance, ill health, huge incarcerations and so on and so on.

I still have all of that in mind as I write this controversial post.

And yes.. It will definitely upset some exponents of Tino Rangatiratanga... and some who have certain socio-cultural and political views.
-

For me

WE CAN NOT Reverse Colonization. There is no way that we can 'Have Pakeha pack up and Leave'
'Tell the Government to Go', or to 'Send them all back to England'.

There is no way I can drain all my Pakeha blood and put it in bottles for other Pakeha to take back to Britain.

That can't happen.

There is no way that we can just 'Go back to the Pa and live like we did, before Pakeha came'.

There is no way that we can ignore what Aotearoa - New Zealand is today, and 'send the Pakeha home'.

I can not and will NEVER encourage some civil war like in Africa to 'Get the Pakehas off our land".

I'd never tell anyone to crazily burn down the Parliament or ANYTHING like that.
-

None of that can or will happen.
--

I feel the anger and frustration of Maori.

I understand the rationale of some who want to set up Sovereignty Groups, or people who protest the Government, or those who do not 'want a part of the system' any more.

I get it. I do.
-

What I offer though.. and here is the clincher... Here is the crux of this blog entry...

IS WHAT YOU ARE DOING, MAKING AN ACTUAL TANGIBLE DIFFERENCE TODAY FOR TE IWI MAORI?

We are motivated by the same anger and frustration that I write of above.... but

WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY DO??? Who does it actually help???

Are you aiding, benefiting or helping Te Ao Maori, Te Iwi Maori???

Are you lifting out of the poverty you hate?

Are you freeing families from the violence that plagues them?

Are you empowering Whanau? Are you helping people to get better?
-

Take some time to reflect.
-

We protest at Waitangi every year. We organise Hikoi.

Some make 'Sovereignty' Courts, Governments and Incorporations?
-

BUT.. What does it all ACTUALLY do for Maori on the streets and in their homes... and not just in your area but across Aotearoa - New Zealand.
-

I do not seek to condemn ANY honest effort to help our people.

But I do seek to cause reflection and retrospection. To cause us to think about how we can tangibly move our people forward.
-

I know protest. But I also know Action and work. I know how important it is to be active in the community and in my home.

I guess that is my call.

My call to all who read this blog.

We do more for Ngai Maori (and indeed all Indigenous people) when we just be good Mums, Dads and brothers... When we have kids....

When we take them to school... When we drive our grandparents around...

When we are good employees in our jobs

When we kiss our kids and hug them

When we reject that last beer or stub out that cigarette for good..

When we smile at the stranger, no matter which country they were born in

When we achieve that Certificate or that Masters 

When we open an eco-friendly business

When we sweep the whare kai, or serve kai there

When we stack or lay mattresses in the whare moe.
-

Believe me

I know how terrible Colonization is.. I truly do... I mean many of those terrible things I wrote of above... I've either witnessed or experienced.. I DO Know.

But I am equally saying, with the same power

We dismantle the effects of colonization when we do the simple things which build our homes and strengthen our whanau. 

Colonization can't be reversed... But we can dismantle it.

Nga mihi nunui.

Thank you for reading

Priez pour Paris, Pray for Paris

Je suis Maori, je suis musulman.

Je crois en l'amour, la paix et la compassion.

Je envoie mon amour pour le peuple de Paris en ce moment. Mes prières montent Allah Tout-Puissant pour eux, leurs moyens de subsistance et de leurs familles.

Amour surmonte tout.

Ce est mon message à cette époque.

I am Maori, I am Muslim.

I believe in Love, Peace and Compassion.

I send my love for the people of Paris at this time. My prayers ascend Almighty Allah for their sakes, their livelihoods and their families.

Love overcomes all.

This is my message at this time.

Ka whakapono matou o Ngai Iharaima ki nga matapono o te Aroha, te Rangimarie me te Ngakau nui.

I tenei wa Pouri, ka tukuna matou o matou aroha ki nga whanau kei Paris.

Kua taki, kua tukuna nga karakia ki a Allah mo ratou, mo a ratou oranga, mo a ratou whanau hoki.

He kaha ake te Aroha, I nga mea katoa.

Koinei ou matou karere I tenei wa.

Late afternoon at the movies, January 2015

I have never ever done a movie review before. This'll be more opinion based and a story of yesterday. I'll try not to put spoilers.
-

The first movie we watched The Imitation Game was unexpectedly beautiful. I'd sat in the lobby, and watched the first seconds of the trailer and thought 'I think I'll enjoy that'.

I certainly did.

Of course the characters are well played, the costume and settings authentic and the simple cinematography was well placed.

But what I most enjoyed, were the several layers of context and meaning. There was not 1 story but 4 woven together.

Lovers of mystery, war, quirk and Britain certainly will enjoy the movie.

I must apologise to all the other movie goers last night, because I was quite loud in my exclamations of enjoyment.

And I cried with a broken heart, right at the end.

VERY VERY WELL DONE, Easy 5 Stars.
____

As for the second movie I was thoroughly underwhelmed.

More to the point I was annoyed.

But that's probably because I feel they sucessfully blasphemed one of the most influential stories of the last 3500 years.

As a scripture enthusiast, I was disgusted both at the portrayal of God and his messenger Moses.

Yes the cinematography was OK, and can be somewhat commended, but if that's the only highlight of the movie, then that leaves much to be desired.

1 star out 5.