Liam Dann, writing in the Herald this week, lamented the fact that immigration would be a major issue in the upcoming election this year. He made the standard patronising and misleading remarks about 'populist' politicians, characterising Trump and Farage, not to mention our own Winston Peters, as 'angry nationalists'. He adopts the position of the rational, economic thinker and appeals to the Kiwi track record of welcoming immigrants and not lowering themselves to racism. All very sensible and convincing.
In fact, I actually agree with Dann up to a point when it comes to immigration in general. New Zealand has always needed immigrants and still does. We would be severely compromised in areas such as healthcare and IT at present if it were not for immigrant knowledge, skills and experience. I'm an immigrant myself and have appreciated the fairness and reasonableness of government systems here compared to other countries. It's also true to say that we do comparatively well when it comes to integrating with various ethnic groups and this I value and welcome as does Mr Dann. So, this is no anti-immigration rant.
Where the article is particularly disingenuous however, is in what it does not mention. It refers to how the main political parties are making movements towards appeasing those who may be concerned about immigration. Labour coming out and saying it will cut annual net migration. National making some tweaks to the Residency qualifications. This is apparently because people are worried about the volume and pace of immigration. The affect on infrastructure, house prices, jobs market, wages, etc. All economic issues. These are legitimate concerns, and even the most welcoming and multi-cultural orientated New Zealander might have some concerns if new immigrants to the equivalent of 2% of the population were to continue to arrive every year, year in, year out.
None of the above, however, addresses the unspoken fear of many people here. The elephant in the living room. So, I'm going to say it. We're worried about what will happen if the Muslim population increases as a percentage of the total. We can see what's happened in France, in Sweden, in Belgium, in the UK and Australia. I don't claim to be any sort of authority on Islam, but certain facts seem to be clear. 1) Islamists do not seem to integrate with western culture in the same way that other minorities do. 2) Clearly there is a problem with radical Islam. Yes, I know, not all Muslims..... but the radical element (Wahabiist Cult ? Radical preachers ?) seem to have a lot of influence. It's not just some tiny minority turning to terrorism, the whole system of Islam is incompatible with western culture. It is at odds with the fundamental freedoms which built western society and which make it so attractive to immigrants. Wherever Islam takes a hold in the west, problems seem to follow. If the Muslim population continues to grow beyond its' current 1% or so, It's only a matter of time before there will be issues and conflict. 3) It doesn't matter what arguments the SJWs, Chardonnay socialists and other apologists come out with, how Islam treats women is oppressive and controlling and is clearly at odds with our values here in New Zealand. Mr Dann in his article was at great pains to point out how we can show the world the way to deal with immigration positively and make it a point of national pride. Wouldn't that be great ? I can see us doing that with immigration in general, but are we deluded enough to believe that just by being nice Kiwis we can overcome the problems associate with Islamic immigration ? Unfortunately, what seems to happen elsewhere is that Islam gets a foothold and then wants to Islamacise the host nation, not integrate with it and adopt the values of that country. Sharia Law. Islamic education in schools. Not to mention honour killings or ridiculous politicians suggesting western women should be made to wear hijabs to prevent abuse of Muslim women.
Let's get real. We are in a very fortunate position here in New Zealand with regard to immigration. A lot of people want to come here, so we can pick and chose. We have tremendous geographical advantages which mean we do not have the illegal immigration problems which other countries have. We can control our situation. So, let's name the elephant in the living room and take steps to ensure that in 10 or 20 years time we're not facing a raft of problems and seeing our overall quality of life deteriorate because we've allowed the Muslim population to grow to 7 or 10% just because we didn't want to be seen as 'racist' or 'Islamophobic'.