Chief Human Rights Commissioner Dr Stephen Rainbow Photo: Supplied/ Human Rights Commission
A stoush between the Chief Human Rights Commissioner and a Jewish community leader has flared up following a showdown at Parliament.
Appearing before a select committee on Thursday morning, Dr Stephen Rainbow was asked about his recent apology for incorrect comments he made about Muslims earlier this year.
"If my language has been injudicious... then I have apologised for that," he told MPs.
"I've apologised publicly. I've apologised privately. I've met with FIANZ [The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand] to hear their concerns and to apologise to them, both in person and publicly, and I hold to that apology."
The apology relates to a meeting he had with Jewish leader Philippa Yasbek, from the anti-Zionist Jewish groups Alternative Jewish Voices and Dayenu, in February.
Yasbek said Rainbow claimed during the meeting that the Security Intelligence Services threat assessment found Muslims posed a greater threat to the Jewish community in New Zealand than white supremacists.
In fact, the report states "white identity-motivated violent extremism [W-IMVE] remains the dominant identity-motivated violent extremism ideology in New Zealand".
Rainbow told the committee he had since changed his position after receiving new information.
He said was disappointed he had "allowed [his] words to create a perception there was a prejudice there" and he would do everything in his power to repair his relationship with the Muslim community.
"Please be assured that I take this as a learning, and I will be far more measured with my comments in future."
But Rainbow disputed another of Yasbek's assertions that he had also raised the supposed antisemitism of Afghan refugees in West Auckland.
"It's going to be really unhelpful if I get into a he-said-she-said, but I did not say the comments that were attributed to me about that. I do not believe that," Rainbow said.
"I emphatically deny that I said that."
'It definitely stuck in my mind' - Jewish community leader
Yasbek, who called for Rainbow's resignation on Wednesday, was watching the select committee hearing from the back of the room. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Yasbek said she was certain Rainbow had made the comments about Afghan refugees.
"It was particularly memorable because it was so specific and he said that he was concerned about the risk of anti-semitism in the community of Afghan refugees in West Auckland.
"It's very specific. It's not a sort of detail that one is likely to make up, and it definitely stuck in my mind."
Yasbek said the race relations commissioner and two Human Rights Commission staff members were also in the room and should be interviewed to corroborate what happened.
"There were multiple witnesses. I am concerned that he has impugned my integrity in that way which is why there should be an independent investigation of this matter."
Philippa Yasbek. Photo: Supplied
Speaking to RNZ later, FIANZ chairman Abdur Razzaq said he raised the commissioner's reported comments about Afghan refugees when he met with Rainbow several weeks ago.
"I raised it at the meeting with him and he did not correct me. At my meeting there were other members of the Human Rights Commission. He did not say he didn't [say that]."
Razzaq said it was up to the justice minister as to whether or not Rainbow was fit for the role.
"When you hear statements like this, like 'greatest threat', he has forgotten it was precisely this kind of Islamophobic sentiment which gave rise to the terrorist of March 15, rise to the right-wing extremist terrorists to take action and they justify it with these kinds of statements."
"[The commissioner] calls himself an academic, a student of history. Where is his lessons learned on this aspect? To pick a Muslim community by name... he has to really genuinely look at himself as to what he is doing and what he is saying."
Minister backs Rainbow: "Doing his best"
Speaking at Parliament following the hearing, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said he backed Rainbow and believed the commissioner would learn from the experience.
"The new commissioner is doing his best. By his own admission he didn't express himself well. He has apologised and he will be learning from that experience, and it is my expectation that he will be very careful in the way that he communicates in the future."
Goldsmith said he stood by his appointment of Rainbow, despite the independent panel tasked with leading the process taking a different view.
"There's a range of opinions on that. The advice that I had originally from the group was a real focus on legal skills, and I thought actually equally important was the ability to communicate ideas effectively."
Speaking in Christchurch on Thursday afternoon, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Rainbow had got it "totally wrong" and it was appropriate he had apologised.
"He completely and quite wrongfully mischaracterised a New Zealand SIS report talking about threats to the Jewish community and he was wrong about that.
"He has subsequently apologised about that but equally Minister Goldsmith has or is talking to him about those comments as well."
RNZ approached the Human Rights Commission on Thursday afternoon for a response to Yasbek doubling down on her recollection Rainbow had talked about the supposed antisemitism of Afghan refugees in West Auckland.
"The Chief Commissioner will not be elaborating further about what was said in the meeting. He's happy to discuss the matter privately with the people involved," a spokesperson said.
"Dr Rainbow acknowledges that what was said caused harm and offence and what matters most is the impact on communities. That is why he has apologised unreservedly and stands by his apology."
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