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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Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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36.3% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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63.7% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Scam Alert: Bank cold calls
ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.
🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.
Remember, banks will:
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.
If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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