Club's response to racist comments sparks community action

Thursday, 22 August 2019

An organiser of a group who will meet outside the Nelson Club, Debs Martin, said alleged racist comments made by a member and reported by Stuff had 'no place in our society of today'.

A group of professionals in Nelson are taking a stand against the Nelson Club following a member allegedly making racist remarks.

A 'Happy Hour' gathering will take place outside the Nelson Club on Friday from 4.30pm to 6pm to 'stand up to bigotry and racism'.

One of the co-ordinators, Debs Martin, said the comments made by a member and reported by Stuff had 'no place in our society of today'.

A Nelson Club member allegedly made comments at a Christmas function last year stating 'all Muslims will rape our wives and daughters and they are coming to take over New Zealand'.

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A complaint against him was lodged by a member some months later, following the Christchurch mosque shooting.

The member is also alleged to have claimed there is scientific evidence that 'Blacks have a lower IQ than Whites', that homosexuals have a 'sickness' and that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is a communist and, if she were re-elected, he would potentially move back to the United Kingdom.

Nelson MP Nick Smith has organised the Nelson Islamic Society to speak at the Nelson Club after it came to light that a member had allegedly made racist comments.

Last week, the club member announced his resignation from the club's committee, but retained his membership. The club on Friday decided not to ban the member but censured him. It also passed a law banning members from talking outside the club about it.

Martin said separating sexes was 'a real challenge in modern society'.

'They seem to be a throwback to some medieval concept.'

She said to hide bigotry behind the facade of a businessman's club was 'beyond belief'.

And it's not just people outside of the club who disagreed with the prejudiced comments. Martin said she knew of members who had quit the club since the incident.

Meanwhile, the comments have encouraged Nelson MP Nick Smith to organise an information function at the Nelson Club with the Nelson Islamic Society.

Dr Moayid Sherif, the Imam of Nelson Mosque and President of the Nelson Islamic Society will be a guest speaker at the club during a luncheon in September. He will speak on Islam, the Quran and the New Zealand Muslim community.

Smith said the aim was to improve local cultural understanding as racism and Islamophobia had no place in Nelson.

'I do not think the offensive comments made by one member to another at a Christmas function last year are representative at all of the Club, but given the horrific events in Christchurch in March, we need to find a way to improve cross-cultural understanding.'

Smith said he wanted the club to better understand Islam 'and to recognise that all people regardless of race or religious beliefs share the same basic human values'.

The two groups coming together was a positive step, he said.

'The club needs to put the ugly exchange of words last year behind it. This is a good positive way to move forward.

'If we want Nelson to be a place free of the sort of religious and racial hate that wreaks havoc in so many parts of the world, we need to constantly work at building greater cultural understanding.'