By Azad Khan
The killing of George Floyd happened in the United States, but this could have just about happened anywhere in the
world.
The cold blooded murder of George Floyd once again highlights the racism and the risk that people of color, muslims and
ethnic communities face in their daily lives,
As Muslims we must remain committed to fighting discriminationt in all its shape and form, be it Institutional racism,
Islamophobia, far right extremism or anti-semitism said Azad Khan, spokesperson of Foundation Against Islamophobia and
Racism.
Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings upon him) taught us we are all equal. In his famous last sermon 1400
years ago he categorically stated that Arabs have no superiority over non- Arabs and whites have no superiority over
blacks.
I on behalf of Foundation Against Islamophobia and Racism (FAIR) and the muslim community condemn the senseless killing
of George Floyd.
I fully support all peaceful protests and actions globally, but especially in the USA in the aftermath of the horrific
and daylight murder of George Floyd and countless others throughout the history by the authorities.
We as a nation had a rude awakening with the murder of 51 innocent people in Christchurch on March 15th, 2019. Let us
pray that America finally starts to act in this issue, and this tragic death is their wake up call.
The killing of George Floyd also highlights the risk of arming police especially those harboring white supremacist and
extreme right views. This is an opportune time to also address the trialing of the armed police response in New Zealand.
This was a knee jerk reaction by the New Zealand Police to advance their own agenda without proper consultation with key
stakeholders.
The massacre of March 15th is no justification to arm the police. Arming the police is only going to further marginalize
our minority and disenfranchised communities. They will be at even further risk of being targeted and meeting the same
fate as George Floyd.