Two religious processions organised by members of the Sikh community have been disrupted by protesters linked to Destiny Church in recent weeks . Photo: Supplied
A prominent ethnic community leader has called on the Sikh community in New Zealand to turn their backs on future protests organised by True Patriots, a group linked to Brian Tamaki's Destiny Church, saying the participants do not represent New Zealand values.
Sikh leaders also called for calm and dialogue after two Nagar Kirtan religious processions had been disrupted in the past few weeks by protesters linked to the church.
Nagar Kirtan is a Sikh tradition involving a religious procession through towns or neighborhoods, with participants singing holy hymns to mark significant occasions such as the anniversaries of Sikh gurus.
"New Zealanders regardless of their origin have the right to practice their faith and religion and, in situations like this, I would say turn your backs on them," said Pancha Narayanan, president of Multicultural New Zealand.
Sikh men rally after protesters block a religious procession in Tauranga on Saturday. Photo: Supplied
Two Sikh religious processions in South Auckland and Tauranga have been disrupted in recent weeks by protesters linked to Destiny Church.
RNZ has approached Destiny Church for comment.
"The Sikh community feels hurt and disappointed," said Yugraj Singh Mahil, vice president of the New Zealand Central Sikh Association. "Many families were shocked. ... We remain calm and united."
The New Zealand Indian Central Association has also expressed concern about what it described as recent acts of intimidation, hate and extremist behaviour affecting wider ethnic communities.
On 20 December, a Sikh procession organised by the Nanaksar Sikh Temple in the South Auckland suburb of Manurewa was disrupted by a True Patriots rally.
Videos later posted by Brian Tamaki showed protesters approaching the Sikh group wearing shirts with slogans such as "Kiwis first", "Keep NZ, NZ" and "True patriot", alongside a large banner reading "This is New Zealand not India".
A similar protest was held in Tauranga on Saturday, 11 January, during a separate Nagar Kirtan procession organised by Gurdwara Sikh Sangat.
Puran Singh, president of Gurdwara Sikh Sangat and one of the parade organisers, told RNZ that Sikhs had been part of New Zealand's story since the late 1800s and that Nagar Kirtan was a peaceful religious procession.
"We respect that in a free society some people may disagree," Singh said.
"However, disagreement should lead to dialogue, not division. We openly invite any group or individual who has concerns about Nagar Kirtan to sit with us and talk."
Puran Singh, president of Gurdwara Sikh Sangat Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
Gurcharan Singh, a trustee of Nanaksar Temple in Manurewa, said the Sikh community was deeply worried about the disruptions.
"We [Indian New Zealanders] are also New Zealanders, and we've never had any issues in the past 26 years of Nagar Kirtans," he said.
"The protest was very hurtful, but we're here to answer any questions anybody has about our way of life."
Narayanan echoed that sentiment, saying the protest was especially painful given the long history of peaceful processions.
He said his community work began 30 years ago after he was a victim of racism on the street.
Narayanan called on the government to intervene so that similar incidents were not repeated against other ethnic groups.
"This is an attempt to intimidate [ethnic communities] by Destiny Church, and this is not Christianity in the way I understand it," he said.
"As much as they have a right to exist, everyone has a right to exist - and Destiny Church does not define New Zealanders."
Veer Khar, president of the New Zealand Indian Central Association, said New Zealand had long been a safe multicultural society, but a small number of individuals were attempting to justify harassment, threats and the desecration of cultural or religious symbols.
"Such actions have caused distress amongst various communities," Khar said.
Pancha Narayanan, president of Multicultural New Zealand Photo: Supplied
Narayanan called on local authorities and police to take a stronger role in countering the protests.
"The lack of clarity around hate speech and the absence of a national action plan against racism has created a situation where the lines are blurring," he said.
He called for the creation of an independent commissioner of religious affairs who could adjudicate whenever such incidents occurred, ensuring organisations such as his had a right to respond.
RNZ has approached the Justice Ministry for comment.
Mahil, who represents 25 gurdwaras across New Zealand, told RNZ he attended a meeting in Tauranga on Wednesday with police, city council representatives and the local MP to discuss safety and future processions.
"There are huge concerns within the community regarding safety, especially from parents who have children attending school," he said.
Mahil said police had assured the community they were closely monitoring the situation and the group involved.
"At this stage, they couldn't share more details as inquiries are ongoing," Mahil said.
Police told RNZ that no arrests were made in connection with the Sikh parades in Manurewa or Tauranga.
"Tauranga Police had a positive and productive meeting with Sikh community leaders on Wednesday, 14 January," police inspector Chris Summerville said.
"This meeting was to share ideas and collaborate on different ways to ensure the safety of everyone involved in any future parades," he said.
Summerville said during an event where large numbers of people gathered, police were responsible for supporting public safety, maintaining order and taking appropriate action where unlawful behaviour occurred.
The disruptions have also drawn attention in India, prompting political leaders in the state of Punjab to call on the Indian government to intervene.
Former Punjab Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal condemned the South Auckland protest, calling on India's foreign minister to intervene in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Yugraj Singh Mahil, vice president of the New Zealand Central Sikh Association Photo: Supplied
Mahil said he was aware of calls from overseas but believed the Sikh community had the support of the New Zealand government.
He said Nagar Kirtans were peaceful events where families walked together, praying and singing hymns, and that the Tauranga Sikh community had held the procession for the past seven years.
"In the past, no police presence was required," he said.
"We had approvals from city councils, planned the event months in advance and informed the police as well."
Mahil said the community was continuing to work with police on how to organise Nagar Kirtans safely in the future.
He added that while the Sikh community respected every New Zealander's right to protest, they welcomed dialogue with members of Destiny Church.
Brian Tamaki has posted on social media in recent weeks about the use of ceremonial swords, or kirpans, during Sikh religious processions.
"We are a peaceful community, and if something is not acceptable to you, we'd like to discuss it," Mahil said. "With dialogue everything can be solved."
