Salient Issue 13 - Volume 88

Faith in the Darkest Times

I’ve often marveled at people who are able to keep their faith in an almighty order despite the clear suffering in the world. In Christian tradition, Jesus is said to have cried out on the cross: “O my god, why have you forsaken me?”. It seems that even those with unshakeable faith are sometimes overcome by the horrors that surround them. This, too, is a persistent problem in religious philosophy. The question, posed by Epicurus, is “how can a loving and omnipotent god allow evil to exist in the world?”

In Abrahamic traditions like Christianity and Islam, those who continue to hold their faith and do good works in the face of adversity are often idealized as wali, or saints. Today, we have our own saints — figures like Malala Yousafzai or Refaat Alareer, whose continued struggle and optimism in the face of oppression inspire millions across the globe.

Christians and Muslims try to live in the image of their saints. So who should we live in the image of? In my hypothetical canon of saints, I think of the martyrs of Gaza. The journalists, mothers, and aid workers who wake up every morning not knowing if it’ll be their last.

I think, too, of the people who died at Parihaka. People who faced down colonist’s guns, who looked into the fiery eyes of soldiers and saw no humanity left. I think of John Brown, and his raid on Harpers’ Ferry to free slaves. I think of Greta Thunberg, sailing into occupied waters with nothing more than a boat full of medical aid.

The world is remarkably cold and cruel, but this cruelty does not come from humanity. It comes from the lifeless, spiritually dead capitalist class, who are far less than human. Any beauty we see in this world is exactly the inverse of that — humanity prevailing against inhumanity. What could be more sacred, more holy than that? As Leonard Cohen wrote: “there’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”

Park Flyers w/ Elly Mae Lawson

Featured in an earlier Salient this year, Park Flyers is an evolving project that draws from 00s midwest emo and 90s garage rock. Good times guaranteed.

Danica Bryant

Wellington’s unstoppable pop princess returns for another night of free tunes.

THE CHOP Top Sur- gery Fundraiser

Top surgery fundraiser featuring sounds from Cherry Punch, MumuDub, Mystery Waitress, Bangerilla, Keira Batten Coogan, Tree Man and artdecKo.

8PM - Valhalla - $5-10

Mallgoth w/ THEWORLDISAGAINSTYOU, Sailorboy

Over the past 3 years, post-punk/hardcore/ cringecore band Mallgoth have blessed Wellington listeners with their huge sound. Unfortunately this will be Mallgoth's last show in Te Whanganui-a-Tara for some time. However, Mallgoth has granted us ONE MORE show!

The launch of a brand new collective, featuring Claire O’Brien, Vitamin Cos, Nifeflip & Lakeboon.

7PM - 13 Garrett Street - $20-30

Beast Mode Incorporated Riften and Vines - One Day Music Festival

Full-on single-day music showcase, featuring Swizl Jager, Mudgoose, Hōhā, GOYA, and more.

8PM - Valhalla - $5 5:30 - MOON - FREE 10:30PM - San Fran - $20 1PM - Underworld Tavern$20-25

By Will Irvine

News Headlines from the Week Break!

Regulatory Standards Bill Gets the TPB Treatment

The Regulatory Standards Bill (RSB), a key piece of legislation in the ACT-National Coalition agreement, has come under heavy fire from the public. Nearly 23,000 submissions were made against the bill, with preliminary reports suggesting the vast majority were in favour. The technique of overloading the select committee is becoming an increasingly relevant technique, following its use against the Treaty Principles Bill over the last year.

The Regulatory Standards Bill essentially provides a backdoor for the complete overhaul of Aotearoa’s regulatory framework, with the alleged aim of increasing efficiency. However, critics point to the Bill as an obvious example of libertarian seizure of power. In its worst form, the Bill could be used to override publicgood legislation that inhibits corporate profits. Particular concerns have been raised about its focus on “impairment of property” and its disregard for Tiriti principles as an element of good lawmaking.

Gaza Genocide Intensifies as US-Israeli Alliance Attacks Iran

In his first news conference since December, Israeli PWhilst the USA and Israel launched unprovoked and horrifically violent colonial agressions on Iran over the break, Israel took the opportunity to quietly ratchet up the scale of violence being carried out in Gaza. Aid sites administered by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation are routinely used as shooting ranges by Israeli troops. Last week, Israeli outlet Haaretz published shocking confessions of Israeli soldiers who claimed they shot indiscriminately at those seeking basic aid.

The official death toll from Israel’s genocide in Gaza stands at 58,000, although recent estimates place the toll at closer to 84,000. Hamas’s estimates only account for those who they are able to name and identify, and don’t account for the missing or unnamed.

Socialist Zohran Mamdani Wins Democratic Primary

In brighter news, social democrat Zohran Mamdani has won a highly contentious primary election in New York City to succeed the scandal-plagued Eric Adams as mayor. Mamdani’s campaign, which was run on costof-living issues like supermarket accessibility, free buses, and universal childcare, was heavily attacked by a well-funded opponent in Governor Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo’s donors spent more than $30 million USD on defeating Mamdani, including running multiple ads that described the candidate as “antisemitic”. Despite this, Governor Cuomo conceded the election within 90 minutes on election night. Post-election analysis showed Mamdani, who is a Ugandan-Indian Muslim, leading massively among youth and immigrants, while Cuomo did better in high-income areas and among Black voters.

Mamdani’s victory adds to the growing trend of left-wing figures challenging mainstream party power across the globe. As Aotearoa runs out of options with a failing LabourNational middle, can Chloe Swarbrick’s Green Party learn from Mamdani and make a serious challenge for power in 2026?

Local Activists Take Direct Action for “Art Not Ads”

Last week, anonymous activists painted over advertising murals on Dixon and Cuba street, emblazoning the message of “ART NOT ADS”. In a statement released to Salient, the activists relayed their concerns over the covering of public murals throughout the city. Advertisers have increasingly taken the space of public art,

enclosing off the public space as yet another venue for capitalist exploitation. Particular concern was raised over the Council’s announced covering of the Kake Tonu Way mural, as well as the coverage of the pro-Irish/ pro-Palestinian mural on 93 Dixon street.

By Will Irvine

By Darcy Lawrey

Who is Behind Independent Together? Whaling,

Tobacco,

and Conspiracy Theories.

With roughly 100 days to go until Wellington will elect a new council, it’s likely you’ve spotted Independent Together’s bright yellow billboards around the city. The group, which opposes “party politics” around the council table, has raised over $150,000 to promote nine candidates who share a policy platform.

The group, led by mayoral-hopeful Councillor Ray Chung, is running on a “back-to-basics” approach to governing Wellington, focused on businesses and public safety. Their flagship policy is zero rates increases over the council’s next term, inflation be damned! Taking a leaf out of Elon Musk’s book, they propose an audit of council departments, as well as halting projects such as the Golden Mile and spending council funds “smarter”.

However, there are Wellingtonians who are willing to spend plenty in support of this fiscally conservative platform. While Independent Together’s campaign funding will not be made public until after the election, property mogul Mark Dunajtschik has publicly given over $20,000 to the group. Despite election rules capping campaign spending for individual candidates at $60,000, there is no limit on how much a third-party campaign group can raise.

Independent Together is effectively the electoral wing of Better Wellington, a right-wing political lobbying group, with each groups’ website authorised under the same name. Better Wellington’s leadership has links to whaling, big tobacco, and conspiracy theorists.

A founding member of Better Wellington, Glen Inwood, formally lobbied on behalf of the Japanese whaling industry. In this role, Inwood allegedly chartered planes to spy on whaling protestors off the coast of Australia. He has also issued press releases for Imperial Tobacco in New Zealand, and is the founder of Resistance Kiwi, a now defunct conspiracy website which promoted conspiracy theories about globalisation. Inwood met with David Seymour as an intermediary for protest organisers during the 2022 lockdown protests.

According to The Spinoff, Resistance Kiwi’s X account was the original source of a false rumour that a video of Mayor Tory Whanau was doing the rounds. Digital researcher Keith Ng discovered that Resistance Kiwi and Independent Togethers’ websites were being hosted on the same private web server.

In an interview with Salient in May, Ray Chung said he was “very concerned” to hear about Inwood’s prior involvement with the tobacco and whaling industries. He said that despite knowing them for 6 years, “no one has mentioned this before”. Inwood’s controversial links to whaling and big tobacco have been publicly available on his Wikipedia page since at least 2015.

(he/him)

Welcome to Salient’s shiny new Sports section! Over the next few weeks, this section will evolve to feature sports results from many of Te Herenga Waka’s big sporting clubs, along with announcements of upcoming sporting events, and spotlights on interesting clubs and hobbies you might not have heard of before. We’ll also be profiling the top athletes from VUW, learning about their talents, passions, and what drives them.

Results

Rugby - Old Boys University

Saturday June 28th

OBU Premier Men 26-5 Avalon Premier Men

OBU Premier 2 (12-17) Avalon Premier 2

OBU Scallywags 5-9 Wellington U85KG

OBU Gunners 25-27 Upper Hutt Rams Pirates

Football - VUWAFC

Womens - Sunday June 29th

Vic Uni Unified 0-3 Stokes Flaming Pickles

Vic Uni Units 4-0 Miramar Rangers Thirds

Mens - Saturday June 28th

Vic Uni Mens Firsts 0-0 Petone U23s

Vic Uni Accies 2-0 Wellington United

Vic Uni Men’s Reserves 1-1 Petone U20s

Vic Uni Raiders 1-2 Wellington United Reserves

Netball - Team Vic Netball

Saturday June 28th

VUW 1 44-55 Scots College 1

VUW 2 34-28 Wgtn East 6

VUW 3 31-25 St Mary’s College 2

VUW 4 25-25 Wgtn Girls 4

VUW 5 40-41 Wgtn United 2

Hockey - VUW Hockey Club

29th and 28th June

Vic 1 Men 0-5 Indian Sports Club 1 Men

Vic 2 Women 2-0 Kapiti 1 Women

Vic 2 Men 0-8 Kapiti 1 Men

Vic 3 Women 2-1 Kapiti 3 Women

Club Feature

Wellington Combat Archery

On Wednesday evening, I took a trip down to the Boyd Wilson Arena to try out one of the most unique and interesting sports out there. Somewhere between paintball, dodgeball, and target shooting, Combat Archery is a new-ish sport being born in the heart of Wellington. Players compete in teams to hit each other with soft-tipped arrows, in a fastpaced game that often includes obstacle courses.

I sat down for a brief chat with the group’s organisers, who told me that Combat Archery is based on similar games popular in the US and China, often referred to as “archery tag”. Richie, the founder, was running a traditional archery range in 2020 when he came up with the idea as a way of making the sport more engaging to a wider audience.

After our chat, I decided to give Combat Archery a shot. It turns out I am not good at it. I spent about an hour being ceaselessly pelted by soft arrows, and occasionally landing one or two very satisfying hits. I would recommend Combat Archery to anyone who loves The Hunger Games, dodgeball, and ducking. Join the group at 6pm on Wednesdays at Boyd Wilson or 1pm on Sunday in Kilbirnie.

I tērā wiki tū ai te tangihanga o te rangatira, te mema pāremata rā a Takutai Moana Tarsh Kemp ki tōna marae, a Ōpaea, ki tōna haukainga, a Taihape. I mua i tōna taenga atu ki Ōpaea, i tau atu ai ia ki te marae o Hoani Waititi mō te pō kotahi. I tērā tau ia i wehe taupua i āna mahi ki Pāremata nā tōna māuiuitanga tākihi, nā te māuiui tākihi ia mate ai i ngā hāora o te ata.

E maumaharatia whānuitia ana i a ia mā tōna pukumahi ki ngā tini kaupapa o tōna hāpori – koia ko ngā mahi kanikani hipihope, te whakahaere hoki i te marae o Manurewa me ngā tini kaupapa tū ai i reira. Inā hoki ko tāna kaha tautoko i te hunga rangatahi, i ngā reanga whakatupu me ā rātou tini kaupapa. Nāna i whakatū he ratonga hauora hinengaro mā te hunga rangatahi, i whakahaere i te kaupapa rā mō te 13 tau, nāwai, nāwai, ka whakawhiwhia e ia te Tohu Āpiha kia whakamana i ngā hua kua puta i tōna whakarīrā i te ao kanikani, i te ao poipoi rangatahi. Nā Rawiri Waititi i mea atu, “Ko te rangatahi te hao ngākau.”

He ngarohanga nui tēnei kua rongo e te ao Māori, e te motu whānui, ā, e te ao whānui. E kore te puna mahara, te puna aroha e mimiti mōna. E te ihuone, e te waewae kai kapua, e te ringa tōhaunui, haere, haere, haere atu rā

Kua whakatau e te komiti whakahaere o Te Matatini, e ētahi māngai o Tainui, e ētahi māngai o te motu, ko te mana whakahaere i te taumāhekeheke o te Ao Haka, i Te Matatini, ka tau ki te rohe o Waikato. Ka tū te whakataetae Kapa Haka ā-motu hei te tau 2027, ā, ka tū ai ki Hopuhopu, ki Taupiri, o roto i te rohe o Waikato. I pōti ai te komiti whakahaere me ērā māngai kia pēnei ai ngā whakahaerenga o Te Matatini 2027 i tērā hui, e rua rā te roa. Ko te tikanga ka tuku atu te mauri o Te Matatini i te wā tuku taonga o ia whakataetae ā-motu. Nā te Tauihu i whakaae kia tū ai te whakataetae ki Whakaū, heoi, nā te nui o te kaupapa me te iti o Whakatū, i paunu Te Tauihu i te haepapa.

The Waikato region has been confirmed to host the prestigious national kapa haka competition and festival, Te Matatini, in 2027. This was voted on by the Te Matatini executive committee as well as representatives and delegates from Tainui and the rest of the country during a two day hui in Hopuhopu. Hopuhopu, in the Taupiri area of Waikato, is where Te Matatini will be hosted. Te Tauihu, the northern region of the South Island, was set to host Te Matatini in Whakatū Nelson, however, due to the rapidly increasing size of Te Matatini in addition to their lack of accommodation, Te Tauihu withdrew from hosting the festival.

Wikin te Taetae ni Kiribati - Kiribati Language Week

Kam na bane ni mauri! Greetings everyone! The 6th to the 12th of July is Kiribati Language Week, it’s theme being: Maiuakinan te katei ri nanon te tangira ma te ikarinerine bon wantongan te mwenga ibukin te rikirake - Living our valued caultural practices through love and respect upholds our dignity and growth for a successful future. Here are some phrases you can learn to encourage the use of the language:

Hello – Mauri

Greetings for more than one person – Kam na mauri

Greetings Everyone - Kam na bane ni mauri

How are you? - Ko uara?

Please - Taiaoka

Thank you – Ko rabwa

Goodbye - Ti a bo

Kua Hinga te MP a Takutai Tarsh Kemp, 50 te pakeke

Waikato to host Te Matatini 2027

By Maia

Ko ngā atua whāea, ko ngā tīpuna whāea, ko te tīmatanga o

te mana wahine anō hoki

is rarely a female counterpart to karakia proceedings, furthering imbalance (Ngahuia Murphy)

Whether by design or not, Atua Wāhine whakapapa has been infiltrated by colonial and Christian discourses, which has all but extinguished them from existence (Aroha Louise Rickus)

And they have a point. After all, you’ve heard of Tangaroa, but probably not Hinemoana. Tūmatauenga gets a shout out in Thor: Love and Thunder, while Hinekeira gets a YouTube slideshow. Wikipedia literally calls Tāwhirimātea a “more primary atua”, on Whaitiri’s own page. Here’s a quick note to the editor – atua aren’t more or less primary. You’re just more or less a misogynist. Each of the 126 tūāpapa briefs of evidence weave together to tell a story of the legal, cultural, and religious marginalisation of wāhine Māori, framing such oppression as the backbone of the colonial machine. And that’s nuk te tahi.

Berryman-Kamp (Te Arawa, Mataatua)

By Maia Berryman-Kamp (Te Arawa, Mataatua)

He atua ki te rangi, he raupatu ki te whenua

I te tekau mā wha

Ka ū te whakapono e i

Ki runga i Ōihi

Ka tū te matenga e i

Ko te kupu tēnei kei te rangi te atua

Me huri koutou me titiro ki reira e i

Ka huri te Māori ka titiro whakarunga e

Ka huri te Matenga ka titiro whakararo e i

Ki te papa oneone ki Aotearoa e

Taiapa rawa mai ki te pāraharaha e i

I te pātītī, i te rōriarino e

I te paraikete whero nāu e te kawana e i

Kua riro te whenua e tere rā i te moana e i

Ko tā te kōrero a te kaumātua rā a Taipari Munro, he waiata tino whakahē tēnei i te hoko whenua, ko te rito o te waiata ko te pātai: he aha kē te utu o te whenua? Āē, i utua i erā tūpuna e te Pākeha mā te pāraharaha, te rōriarino, te paraikete whero. Hoi, ko te tino uru pounamu: he aha te utu mā ngā mokopuna o ērā rangatira?

I te tau 1914 i kauhau ai te mihinare rongonui, a Samuel Marsden, kua mōhio anōtia ia i te ingoa ‘Te Mātenga.’ He kaiarahi o te hāhi Mihinare, i tae atu mai ki Aotearoa nā tōna āwangawanga ki te hunga taihara nō Te Whenua Moemoeā e noho ana ki ēnei whenua, e whakararu ana i ngā Māori o konei.

Ko te kauhau rā i tū ai ki Ōihi, kei te Pēwhairangi, tata ana ki Waitangi. I a ia i tuku kauhau ai, ko rāua ko tōna hoa nahe te hunga mārama ana i te reo Pākeha. He mea nui tēnei mā ngā uri o te Tai Tokerau, otirā i te motu whānui i te mea ko tēnei kauhau i tohu i te whānautanga mai o te whakapono Karaitiana ki Aotearoa.

Nā, ko te mōteatea nei e whakahē ana ki tā te Pākeha whakamahi i te whakapono Karaitiana hei taputapu pīroiroi, hei taputapu tāmi i a Ngāi Māori. I titongia e Tarau Titore mō te kaupapa o te 100 tau whaimuri i te hainatanga o te tiriti. Ka huri ki ēnei rārangi:

‘Ka huri te Māori ka titiro whakarunga e Ka huri te Matenga ka titiro whakararo e i Ki te papa oneone ki Aotearoa e’

I ā Māori mā e tiro ana ki runga rawa, ki te Atua, ko te whenua ki raro kē i ‘hokona,’ i raupatutia e te Pākeha. Ki tōku nei whakaaro, e tino whai pānga ana te mōteatea nei i ēnei rā tonu i te mea ko te mahi a te mōteatea nei ko te taki i te whakapapa o te raupatu whenua, o te tāmitanga. Tuatahi rā, ko te “hoko” whenua e porotēhi marika ana e te mōteatea. Mai i reira ka hua mai te ngarohanga iho o te tikanga, o ngā tini toi Māori nā te whakapākehatanga o te iwi Māori. Ka huri te whakaaro ki ‘Ngā whakapapa o ngā tūpuna o ngā ture o Niu Tireni,’ te whakapapa i titongia e Mohi Tāwhai kia whakaatu i te whakapapa o te hononga o te hunga Māori me te hunga Pākeha. Ka moe tahi a Aotearoa ki te mana o Ingarangi, ka puta ko Kāwana Hopihana. Nāna i “moe” ki ngā Rangatira Māori, nā ka puta ko te Tiriti o Waitangi. Nāna i “moe” i te Pāremata, ka puta ko te ture. Nāwai rā, nāwai rā, ka hua ko ngā mokopuna o tēnei hononga – ko te Whenua Kore, ko te Ngākau Pōuri, ko te Mate Noa Iho.

I ēnei rā tonu, he iti kē te whenua o te Māori – tōna 5% o te whenua katoa o Aotearoa he whenua Māori. Ko ngā tatauranga kino katoa i tā te whare herehere, te pūnaha hauora, te pūnaha mātauranga, kua kikī i te Māori. Koia nei ngā utu kua utua e ngā uri Māori, e utua tonu ana i ēnei rā tonu nā te tāmi a te Pākeha. Ehara i te mea e whakahē, e riri raini te waiata ki te hāhi Mihinare, hoi, he whakapuaki i te pōuri a te Māori – inā hoki i a Ngāpuhi, nō konā te mōteatea nei – i te ngarohanga o te whenua, he ngarohanga i hua mai i te taenga mai o te Pākeha me ōna tini utu.

when leftisim becomes a religion

By Poneke

There are several ways to view Marx’s quote about religion: “It is the opium of the people.”

Edgy atheists hear “opiate addicts are stupid”; others hear “people embrace false solutions to alleviate genuine suffering.” Unfortunately, it still positions those reaching for religion as pitiable, unlike us irreligious leftists who know “the truth”.

Capitalism is a more plausible cause of oppression than a vengeful god, and easier to fight. However, we need to understand leftist beliefs as beliefs; which isn’t a problem or something to falsify, but a way to understand ourselves as part of the masses. Leftists too are disempowered and aching for community; we too sometimes turn to easy answers and spiritual opiates.

Some leftists behave as though capitalism is the only problem for life on earth. And against capitalism, what can we do but name our belief systems after Great Men like Marx, read their sacred texts, paint our placards, and gather on Parliament lawn, where chanting slogans will somehow transmute into political gains? If we follow these rituals, capitalism will fall, the state will wither away, and utopia will arrive. Does this sound familiar?

Faith exists beyond churches or gods. To me, faith means seeing a connection between a principle and an outcome, and letting your trust in that connection guide your actions.

Part of my faith is that people want to do good (principle), and that if we work together (action) we have chances to improve the world (outcome). This faith has a low burden of proof; it can be restored simply by seeing a few people treating others well.

Faith sometimes includes facts, but it’s not predicated on them, and different leftists will accept or ignore different facts. You might believe abolishing sex work protects women, and refuse to witness the suffering that flows from criminalisation and stigma. You might view Cuba as a stunning model of leftism, and choose to ignore its massive prison population. My own inaction on climate change partly comes from a misplaced faith that someone else will stop it; irrational, but soothing.

We can choose what to worship, but I recommend avoiding leftisms that worship despots like Stalin or Assad in the name of all-encompassing salvation, denying well-documented atrocities in the name of delivering the right kind of people from capitalist oppression (the victims, of course, being ignored or brushed off as a necessary price to pay for Salvation).

It’s weird that such genocide deniers are often involved in prison abolition or queer rights, but the Left is sometimes too broad a church.

Moreover, dedicating everything to leftism won’t solve all your problems. Too many people gravitate towards “collective action” in the hope of ceding personal responsibility for their actions. Worse still, like some religious sects leftist groups can portray themselves as the only people its members can count on to bring about the perfect revolution, forming cults much worse than a chilled out Anglican congregation.

Ultimately, leftism is just one of many branches of a personal belief system. We can alleviate suffering through protests, but also through making interesting art, caring for children outside your blood relatives, exercising, and even seeking religious wisdom. If existence is suffering, an opiate will always be necessary; just choose a good one.

by Ari (they/them)

Kia ora, and Shalom aleichem. I’m a PhD candidate here at Te Herenga Waka and I am of Ashkenazi (Jewish people whose ancestors primarily lived in Central and Eastern Europe) descent. I am part of an organisation of anti-Zionist Jews in Aotearoa New Zealand called Dayenu. But first, the area of land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea is Palestine, and it always will be. Here I set out why Jewish principles and values inform an antiZionist Jewish perspective. This represents my own views - Jews are a diverse group and there are many perspectives even among anti-Zionist Jews. However, where I use “we” I am referring broadly to other anti-Zionist Jews.

Justice in the Torah:

From its inception in the Torah (the Jewish bible), Jewish tradition provides a powerful framework for opposing oppression. Justice is foundational to Judaism; our teachings place unconditional emphasis on justice. Our holy texts do not permit oppression, regardless of the victim’s religion. These form the basis for a pacifist Jewish worldview, and a critique of the expansionist Zionist project.

Below are some excerpts on justice from the Torah.

“Justice, Justice You Shall Pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:20).

“Do not oppress the stranger, for you were strangers in Egypt” (Exodus 23:9)

“Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24)

“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression.” (Isaiah 1:17)

“What does God require of you but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

For us, as Jewish anti-occupation activists, these verses are not abstract ideals but direct challenges to ongoing state violence. Biblical prophets, and Hashem (God) themself taught us to seek justice for all. The policies of expansionist Zionism, particularly its military occupation of Palestine, have long been contested within Jewish thought. Many Jewish prophets, scholars, rabbis, and activists have drawn from a range of texts and philosophy and articulated a moral and theological opposition to Zionism, militarism, and the oppression of Palestinians.

Early Jewish Anti-Zionism:

Before 1948, many Jewish thinkers rejected the notion of political Zionism on ethical grounds, fearing it would corrupt Jewish values. Many rabbis believed that Jews must wait for the Messiah to restore them to Israel and that human-led efforts were heretical, a sentiment argued as early as the 1845 Rabbinical conference. This opinion was shared by Reform Jews, who saw Judaism as purely a religious, not ethnic or political, identity, Liberal Jews who feared Zionism would fuel antisemitism by reinforcing the idea that Jews were “foreigners” and finally, Karl Marx (of Jewish descent) and other Socialist authors dismissed Jewish nationalism as reactionary.

The Jewish Labor Bund, or ‘The Bund’, founded in Vilnius (then part of the Russian Empire) in 1897—the same year as the First Zionist Congress—was a revolutionary socialist movement that sought Jewish cultural autonomy through Yiddish language and secular education, class struggle alongside non-Jewish workers, and resistance to assimilation, nationalism, and religious orthodoxy.

Influential Rabbi and pacifist, Aaron Samuel Tamares, taught that Judaism rejects political domination, insisting that Jewish ethics prioritize spiritual and moral power over statehood. He argued that “The Torah was not given to the Jewish people so that they might become a nation of conquerors.” He warned of Zionism as a betrayal of Jewish values, replacing divine justice with militarism. Rabbi Tamares correctly anticipated that nationalism would corrupt Jewish ethics, leading to oppression.

Anti- Zionist Jews opposed a Jewish nation state before its inception. For them, and for us, it’s inconsistent with Jewish values to take land and political power from others. They rejected the Zionist concept of “a land without people for a people without land”, recognising that the land belonged to Palestinians and that creating a Jewish state meant denying the political autonomy of Palestinians.

“Here-ness” and “Exile” in the Diaspora:

The Bundist principle of Doikayt (“Here-ness”) argues that Jews must fight for justice where they are. This is a call to fight for liberation in your diaspora home, not via nationalism elsewhere. Doikayt situates Jews, globally, as solidarity partners with the oppressed, and proves that Jewish culture thrives without territorial sovereignty. We owe Palestinians liberation, and in an Aotearoa and Pacific context, we owe it to Māori and Pasifika folk too.

Additionally, in Judaism Galut refers to the exile of the Jewish diaspora after the destruction of the Temple (70 CE). For many Jewish critics of Zionism, galut represents a moral and political context that informed the evolution of our religion, not a punishment on an aberration to be overcome. Early Jewish philosophers and modern thinkers alike argue that Jewish survival in galut proves adaptability without state power and is a form of spiritual resistance. Diaspora is our strength. Galut teaches that justice must be sought where Jews live, not deferred to “a homeland”. Galut undermines the Zionist claim that Jews must dominate land to be safe, and instead obligates Jews to stand with the oppressed everywhere, including Palestinians.

Judaism is a religion, a set of values we carry with us wherever we go, a rulebook to leading a just and moral life. As anti-Zionist Jews, we grieve the enormous harm that Zionism has done to the moral, ethical and spiritual basis of our religion. When a militarised state replaces ethical principles of working to heal the world, we feel our fellow Jews are denying the very best and truest parts of who we are.

Ethical Principles of Judaism:

Tikkun olam - healing the world, a moral responsibility for Jews to undertake, attending to healing in both the physical and social definitions.

Tzedek – justice, observing the rules of the covenant; beyond the laws of the state.

Tzedakah – charity, spontaneous act of goodwill and a marker of generosity; tzedakah is an ethical obligation, and it is not properly “charity”

Lo Tirtzach - thou Shalt Not Murder, Exodus 20:13 - “Do not vandalize [God’s] creation by spilling human blood, for [God] created human beings to honour and acknowledge [God] in all these ways...”

Pikuach Nefesh the preservation of human life overrides any other religious rule of Judaism.

Ahavat Ger - Love the Stranger.

Mitzvah - an individual act of human kindness in keeping with the law, including a sense of heartfelt sentiment beyond mere legal duty. According to Jewish tradition there are 613 mitzvot (plural) included in the Torah.

Our teachings require us to strive for peace, and surely, we know this in our hearts. Our teachings say that every single soul in this world is created pure, everyone is created in the image of God, B’Tselem Elohim. Our teachings tell us “You shall not harm a stranger or oppress them, for you were strangers in Egypt.” So, we choose to stick to our teachings and live a pacifist Jewish life. We honour the history of Jewish resistance to violence and oppression. Judaism teaches community above all else, and we are in the business of building that here in Aotearoa.

Modern Anti-Zionist Jewish Movements:

To many of us, this may just sound like common sense: religion calls for justice and inclusion, not genocide and occupation. But the Zionist movement demands loyalty. Many Jews have been caught in systematic indoctrination to justify anything Israel does, no matter how far removed it is from Jewish values. Many feel a desperate urge to flee antisemitism and secure their physical safety through oppressive expansion of Israel’s borders. For some, including survivors of the Holocaust and their descendants, this is an understandable trauma response - but it cannot justify the ongoing traumatisation of others. Here in Wellington, we have a Temple that touts itself as ‘Wellington’s Progressive Jewish Community’, but in which anti-Zionism is swiftly shouted down. Many Dayenu members decide not to affiliate with synagogues because of their institutional support for Zionism. Our mainstream institutions do not speak for all Jews. We are adamant that upholding Jewish values requires actively working to end the oppression of the Palestinian people and create a lasting and just peace based on full redress and upholding human rights.

For those of you reading this who are feeling conflicted in your Judaism, interested in learning more, or wanting to get involved in the movement, I recommend learning about the following organisations. We are not alone.

Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) - the world’s largest Jewish organization standing in solidarity with Palestine. They’re organizing grassroots, multiracial, cross-class, intergenerational movement of U.S. Jews.

IfNotNow - a movement of American Jews organizing our community to end U.S. support for Israel’s apartheid system and demand equality, justice, and a thriving future for all Palestinians and Israelis.

Standing Together - a progressive grassroots movement organizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel against the occupation and for peace, equality, and social justice.

Neturei Karta - ultra-Orthodox Jewish movement that is opposed to Zionism and the existence of the State of Israel. This group’s stance on LGBTQIA+ and Women’s issues is conservative at best, and I don’t promote them as an organisation. But their stance on Palestine is worth observing.

Sh’ma Koleinu | Alternative Jewish Voices (NZ) - blog and activist organisation run by a collective of Jews whose views are not represented in the current public discourse on Jewish affairs. The purpose of this collective is to publicly air Jewish voices and views on issues that are important to Jews.

Dayenu (NZ) - a Jewish organisation that stands for peace, justice and equality for all peoples, Israeli and Palestinian, between the river and the sea. Dayenu means ‘it would have been enough’, in reference to our exodus from slavery in Egypt. Our Kaupapa is simple: no one is free until we are all free.

If you want to promote solidarity with Palestine through our local queer culture here in Wellington, whether you’re Jewish or not, consider attending Drag for Palestine at Ivy Bar on July 11. This event is hosted by one of our Dayenu members, King Markiss, and will raise funds for medical aid in Palestine.

Whatever Happened

For nearly a decade, a utopian socialist community existed right on the doorstep of Victoria University of Wellington. People from around the world with a keen interest in social justice lived together in a shared community, spending their nights discussing ideas and their days helping the community. With an opendoor policy to strangers from across society, and no expected cost but a small koha to cover the costs of power and utilities, this was about as close to an oasis of democratic socialism as one could get within the harsh desert of a capitalist society.

The catch? It was a ministry of the Catholic Church.

For most young, liberally-minded students, the eternal Church rightfully conjures up images of fear. We imagine the Spanish genocide of the Mayan and Aztec people, or the thousands of dead children found under Canadian reservation schools. We think of the forced re-education of Māori. Yet for centuries, a few radicals have sought to use the Church’s ancient teachings and immense resources to bring hope and rebellion against oppressive social structures — much in the way that Christ and his disciples did when they lived on earth.

The Catholic Worker Movement is one such radical tradition. Founded in the USA by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933, the Catholic Workers have set about building a network of houses and centres across the globe, providing food and comfort for the poor. In the words of Maurin, their aim was “to create a new society within the shell of the old”. They sought to live their life based on the Beatitudes, a Christian doctrine derived from Jesus’s blessings on the poor, meek, righteous, and the peacemakers. Their tactics mirror similar movements in the global south, particularly Latin America, where Catholic doctrine is used as a tool of resistance by indigenous and workers’ movements. This practice, known as liberation theology, was the intellectual breeding ground of Pope Francis.

Jack Leason had just returned from a tour of Catholic Worker houses across the USA when he arrived back in Te-Whanganui-A-Tara. Raised on a Catholic Worker farm, Leason grew up in the radical movement. He had the bright idea of starting a Catholic Worker house in the city, inspired by a house he visited outside of Notre Dame University. A lack of housing led to him and his brother Finn squatting in an abandoned building for a period of months, until a chance encounter led to the Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington formally offering them a place to stay. Some free real estate had shown up on Kelburn Parade, and the archdiocese was willing to let Jack and his comrades use it rent-free, in essence becoming the Church’s official ministry on campus.

The little house on Kelburn Parade soon became Berrigan House, named after radical Catholic priest Daniel Berrigan, who made headlines with his direct action against the Vietnam War in the 1970s. “We didn’t really know what our kaupapa would be”, Jack tells me, but “it was just really special to have a living situation like that.” Students who went to VUW before 2025 may remember the Palestinian, and West Papuan flags flying high through their windows — eternal symbols of global resistance and solidarity.

Danielle Webb, who moved there soon after Jack established the house, had already been in the Catholic Worker movement for some time — her cousins had established a Catholic Worker farm in Hokianga. The initial appeal of Berrigan

Will Irvine

to Berrigan House ?

was simple: in Danielle’s words, they wanted to “live intentionally along social justice values”. It wasn’t without challenges, though. Danielle described the house as pretty full-on, with the open-door policy meaning that residents would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night to a complete stranger on their doorstep. The chaos, Danielle explained, is “sort of part of the Catholic Worker kaupapa… it’s always slightly disorganised”.

The people who choose to live in a utopian community are often those who don’t find it easy in mainstream society. This was certainly true at Berrigan House. “Imagine people with different levels of dysfunction, all living together… you’re seeing people at all stages of their life.” That kind of vulnerability created a sense of mutual respect and trust, said Danielle. “It’s very honest. You see everything about their lives.” She recalls particularly poignant moments, where members of the house supported one another through a fellow housemate’s passing. Beyond the tough moments, though, Berrigan House was a place of intense intellectual discussions. In the early days, when the residents were all students, they would return from their classes every day with new ideas to discuss and debate.

A weekly highlight of life at Berrigan was the Wednesday Mass, which Jack described as “a giant potluck dinner”. “There’d be homeless folk, there’d be students… all sorts of people around the table sharing in the Eucharist. Those kinds of moments were awesome. They were a sense of community within a busy city week.”

However, ideological communities will always run into practical concerns. Danielle noted that their open-door policy sometimes meant turning people away who would be safer elsewhere. For example, the house, filled with young students and people from all backgrounds, wasn’t a safe space for young mothers to raise children. According to Danielle, though, there was never a strict policy for who was or wasn’t suitable. “Those sorts of things were constantly being resolved, they were always in motion”.

Practical concerns, though not their own, were eventually what did Berrigan House in. In a story that’ll be familiar to anyone who’s lived in Wellington long enough, costs became too much. The Archdiocese eventually requested the building back, citing the need for revenue from the property. Jack now lives with his wife out in Otaki, where he helps local primary school students with regenerative gardening and runs a co-operative farm. He describes it as a “pay-what-you-can” service, where families can subscribe to a weekly bag of vegetables within their means.

Is Victoria University of Wellington worse off without Berrigan House? Danielle wasn’t sure. To her, the house was more of a standing point for the wider community than a specifically University-oriented project. Jack, likewise, said that Berrigan House was just one part of a “history of radical houses… I’m sure another one will spring up.” But for the thousands of students, myself included, who walked past the chaplaincy complex every day and saw the flags of resistance and solidarity flying high, Berrigan House was a symbol. Maybe we didn’t need to end the world to start anew. Maybe, like Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, we could build a new society within the shell of the old.

Te Urukeiha Tuhua (He/ Ia) (Tūhoe)

It’s Matariki, and I am with my whānau by the coast with a bowl of hot boil-up on my lap and some fry bread in my hand. We’re gathered around a bonfire, resting after a long day of attending Matariki festivals and watching kapa haka. As well as joining in the celebrations, I am taking a moment to reflect on the year that’s passed and looking to the year ahead.

We’re living during a time of political unrest, and I am seeing more and more people being radicalised in either direction. We are responding to injustices and oppression with anger, and we are channelling our anger into resistance which is only growing stronger. I also see a lot of anxiety from people, especially around the possibility of a global war. Change can be overwhelming when it seems to be happening so quickly, and when the future is still uncertain.

In the midst of it all, I am watching in real time that our culture is alive and thriving. Much of our culture was eroded through colonisation, but it is being revitalised and it is around us every day. Matariki was nearly forgotten, but it is now celebrated nationally and is quickly becoming widespread and central for everyone in Aotearoa. Decolonisation is not a distant dream; it is real, and it is happening now. Despite the attempts of this government to suppress our voices and culture, we remain strong. I am immensely proud of the way we all stood up against the Treaty Principles Bill, and then again against the Regulatory Standards Bill.

This year I have Palestine in my thoughts and in my heart. I am thinking about all of the whānau and tamariki who have been murdered by Israhell, and I quietly pray for their safe passage through Te Ara Wairua. A few months ago I saw a video of a little girl surrounded by rubble, holding up a sign that read ‘Toitū Te Tiriti’. I know that Palestine will be free soon, because we will continue to fight for them and stand with them in solidarity. Our struggles are similar, and we are fighting for the same things. Time and time again, we raise our tino rangatiratanga flags and our Palestine flags side by side. We know that we cannot be free until all of us are free.

Recently Brian Tamaki and Destiny Church led a demonstration of hate. They used taiaha to shred apart flags, including pride flags and Palestine flags, and then proceeded to burn them. They referred to Islam as ‘an evil satanic religion’, which is especially horrific with the genocide already happening. They used our culture as a weapon against other minority groups. Their actions are not representative of what Christianity is–a religion which prioritises love at its very core–or of who Māori are. Scapegoating and fear mongering is divisive and only perpetuates further harm and violence towards our most vulnerable groups.

But I know that Aotearoa knows how to resist. We have the strength of our tīpuna and we know how to care for our communities, and this is what will prevail. Matariki is not just a time for celebration; it is a time for remembering, for mourning, for looking ahead, and for planting new seeds. As I sit near the warmth of the fire in quiet reflection, I am filled with anticipation and hope. Times are uncertain right now, but the uncertainty is also filled with possibility. I believe in us, and I believe in our future.

This week's centrefold is by Angel Hudson

You can find more of their art on instagram

Aries

Everything you were going to do tomorrow must be done today, the universe is anticipating something for you and you must make space for it.

Cancer

A feminine energy in your company is hoping to use your good will for selfish purposes, be kind but wary.

Taurus

It’s time to pull out your receipts, and correct an injustice that was committed against you or a loved one

Gemini

Stubborn challenges bar you from rest and restoration, gather your bravery and wit and overcome them i.e. fold your laundry.

Leo

Over the break it’s time to explore a neglected passion or hobby.

Libra

Good fortune and grades are coming your way, you’re on the right path, return to your home town and bask in how far you’ve come.

Capricorn

The universe is calling to you to give yourself time to rest, self-reflect but be wary of drifting into isolation.

Scorpio

Something dear to you is coming to its end, let it go with grace, this might be a flat that was once full of laughter or a course you enjoyed.

Aquarius

It’s time to grind! Pursue success through balance and grit, avoid any rash decisions, stick to what you know.

Virgo

You’ve been wearing your heart on your sleeve, this vulnerability will soon be cherished and help guide you towards love.

Sagittarius

Something fleeting will soon present itself to you, you must seize it before it vanishes!

Pisces

You’re starting to notice repetition in life's circumstances, this is a sign to change existing patterns and rejoice in the newness of discovery.

You might be surprised to see an essay about Jesus here – honestly I would be too. Recently, I realised that in my three years of studying at Te Herenga Waka, and reading the Salient almost religiously… I’ve never read a piece on Christianity that has had a positive connotation.

Considering this is the GOD. edition, I felt it was important to try to mix things up a bit. Now here me out, if you’re looking for a sermon or a theological thesis, this isn’t it. This is my personal reflection on why, despite it all, I choose to follow Jesus Christ.

I ask that you would be kind. I get this is probably different to what you’d expect to read in-between classes on a Tuesday, and I get how strange it all sounds. As someone who didn’t grow up in Church, I had assumed that Christians didn’t think critically about their faith, but I now know many who do and still find their faith to be true. When all the noise, assumptions, expectations and frustration is stripped away, I stumble upon a clearer representation, a more accurate narrative of this faith. Not one of religiosity, shame or pedestals but one that is centred on Jesus – the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Firstly, the existence of Jesus of Nazareth isn’t up for debate. His life and crucifixion as a historical figure is widely accepted by historians and scholars, both believers and non-believers alike. His life is one of the most well-documented events of the ancient world and has more historical backing than Alexander the Great, Socrates and Julius Caesar. What is contested however is His divinity, meaning whether or not He was the Son of God.

But before I get ahead of myself. Here is a very basic, inevitably oversimplified overview of the Good News, the Gospel.

In the beginning, God created the world and humanity out of His love for us, with a purpose: to live in relationship with Him and with each other.

We (humanity) chose to rebel against God, assuming we knew best, breaking that relationship with Him. This introduced death, suffering, and separation from God.

God sent His Son, Jesus, who was fully God and fully human, to live a perfect life and reveal God’s love and truth to all.

Jesus was crucified, dying a horrific death and bearing the weight of our sin, so that we don’t have to. He rose from the dead three days later, defeating sin and death.

You might already know this story, but context is important, and if we don’t understand why the Cross needed to happen. then Jesus was just a nice lad. But, His death on the Cross wasn’t a mistake and it wasn’t a blip in God’s plan. It was necessary, it was planned and it was final.

Regardless of whether you believe that or not - the story is wild, and one that is highly critiqued, narrated, commentated on - it is a story that people give their lives up for the sake of telling. So surely, it’s one worth understanding, and doing so in its fullness. Either Jesus did rise from the dead and that changes everything, or else He didn’t and we’re all deluded. What it can’t be is only somewhat important, or a half-truth. Doing research and deciding what you believe, aside from your preconceived ideas, is a good start. At least then, at whatever point you have a mid-life crisis, you’ve already given the whole Christianity thing a good go.

The real question isn’t whether Jesus existed – the question is why is a brown, Jewish man under occupation, who was executed by the religious and political establishment of the day, still such a big deal? Why is His birth so significant that it’s the dividing point of world history? Why do 2.7 billion people declare that He is Lord? Why is it that people die every day for the sake of telling people about Him?

My friend Rosie embodied and introduced faith to me when I was 13, which was when I started to look more into it. At the time I had this blueprint in my head of what it meant to be a Christian. Like it was something that if I worked hard enough, woke up earlier, prayed more and was well versed enough in, then maybe, just maybe, I could achieve it. Yet, I know now that I had it all wrong. So, for the sake of transparency, here is my track record as a Christian. I never completed the Bible in a year - usually I forget around day 6 or 7. I’ve never successfully completed Lent. There are times where I miss Church because I left an assessment too late. There are times where I miss Church to go to OBay with my friends who don’t go to church. There are times where I get frustrated with people and I have to pray to be kinder to them. Sometimes I get embarrassed if someone asks me a question about my faith that I don’t know the answer to, because I feel like it invalidates my faith, or it makes Christianity somehow less true. My prayer life fluctuates between praying for a good car park where I don’t have to parallel, interceding for ceasefire, praying for the strength to finish my overdue essay, and praying that I’d learn to forgive people when I’m not always quick to do so. My inconsistency, slackness and imperfectness doesn’t disqualify me from God. In fact, it’s the very thing that qualifies me, because God doesn’t ask for our performance or perfection. He asks us to be His, like He always intended.

In the last 2 years, I’ve been through deep grief, significant health scares, disappointments, grappled with my wellbeing and experienced things I still don’t understand, but God has seen me through. Always. Even if I still don’t understand why or how things unfolded the way they did, He’s been close. The closeness of God is hard to define without telling you about it. Towards the end of school I really struggled with my mental health. I took time off school and spent days on end in my bedroom, by myself, in the dark. My curtains were kept closed and I refused to let people open them as I didn’t want to see the light. Months later, a stranger prayed for me at a church camp. Without knowing a thing, she said, “even if you decide to stay in that dark room and keep the curtains closed - the sun still comes up, the Son still rose, and God is still good. But, if you choose not to, even there He is still near. Waiting for you to open the curtains.” That is the closeness of God to me. That He is near in all things, even if I don’t want Him there.

I know the Church has caused immense damage. Being Irish, much of my family history and cultural identity is situated in harm perpetrated by the Church. It’s something I still really grapple with. Here in Aotearoa, we know the legacy of the Church within colonisation and abuse within faith-based care all too well. Yet, things can be done in the name of the Church, that are in direct contradiction of God’s ask of us. To love Him, and to love others just as we’d love ourselves. Hence why, I don’t follow the Church, I follow Jesus. Who was killed at the hands of the religious leaders because He didn’t show up how they expected. Jesus lived a life that was radically inclusive, compassionate, and just. He rebuked those who thought of themselves more highly than others, He embraced those who were ostracised and confronted corruption. If you want to know more about who Jesus is, and what that means for you there are some easy people to reach out to on campus.

Student Life offers an open space for you to explore Christianity, you can reach out and grab a coffee if you’ve got any questions that you’d want to ask. You can DM them on @studentlifewelly.

The folks at Ramsey House who wear black t-shirts (the Chaplains) are awesome people and would love to kōrero with you. They also have the cheapest coffee on campus!! If you’re writing an essay for Religious Studies or the like it’s also a great place to start.

There’s also Alpha Courses running all around Welly (including at uni) that meet weekly and give a well-rounded introduction to Christianity covering all the foundational stuff. If you google Alpha NZ, it’s the first one to pop up

Other options include coming along to a service with me at 5pm on a Sunday at 9 Hania Street, you can pray and see what happens, or talk to a Christian in your life about why they follow God. Otherwise, you can finish reading this and do the crossword – I’ve only completed it successfully without intervention twice...

So that’s a bit about me. I think Jesus is epic. There’s so much more to say, but at the same time not really. He’s given me hope. He’s changed my life. I’ll never be able to thank Him enough, but I'll be thankful for it forever.

The first time I was introduced to Islam was through a terrorist joke.

Just a kid playing Halo on my Dad’s Xbox 360, on a tiny TV in the lounge surrounded by my five brothers and baby sister. We had half the screen, playing 1v1 while yelling, “You’re screen-watching!” like it was the greatest sin to ever exist. My eight-year-old(-ish) brothers would yell “Allahu Akbar” before lobbing a grenade at me while I was fighting for my life. I didn’t understand the phrase, but I learned it was something you shouted before an explosion.

Later, in high school, I saw a famous clip (which was edited) of Donald Trump at a rally when someone in the crowd yelled “Allahu Akbar,” and security rushed to shield him from danger. Again, it was tied to fear and terrorism.

In reality, Allahu Akbar means: “God is the Greatest.” Got a good grade on your exams? Allahu Akbar! Failed your papers even though you tried your hardest? Allahu Akbar.

Tasting your mum’s food after being away from home for a long time? Allahu Akbar.

Running on 2 hours of sleep, surviving on caffeine, ready to crash out because someone on your group project isn’t doing anything? Breathe, calm down (you should probably take a nap) but Allahu Akbar!

I didn’t realise how much my ideas about Islam needed to change, until I actually started learning about it. (And yes, I later became Muslim—PLOT TWIST, IYKYK!).

A simple two-word phrase which holds so much stigma and debate post 9/11 was distorted in a way that grossly affected the lives of real people. In reality, to the practising Muslim, it truly displays God in a merciful light — not to be used in such disgusting, dehumanising situations.

Even here in Aotearoa, far from the headlines, those harmful ideas still seeped in. From global Islamophobia to the heartbreak of Christchurch in 2019, we’ve learned that ignorance doesn’t stop at borders. Sadly, it took a terrorist attack for me, non-Muslim at the time, to start asking who are Muslims? What do they believe in? Why did that happen?

This short piece is meant to bring light and awareness to the sweetness of Islam.

So, what is Islam? Ko wai mātou? Ko

Islam is a faith centred on the belief in one God (Allah), and a way of life that invites inner peace through conscious submission to the Divine. Rooted in the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and the Qur’an (the foundational text of Islam).

Islamic philosophy teaches that all humans are one big nation: an ummah

In other words: “Ehara tāku toa he toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.”

Islam teaches us to love each other, be generous to the poor, uplift the disadvantaged, be kind to our neighbours, stand up for the oppressed (such as imploring tino rangatiratanga), protect the wellbeing of the Earth (kaitiakitanga) and build a world with peace and justice for all (like returning Māori land) regardless of our differences.

Beyond the headlines, tired jokes (and Brian Tāmaki spreading his misinformed hate-haka which is giving, moumou tō toto Māori), at its core, Islam encourages a life of purpose, compassion, and self-refinement.

Muslims pray, give in charity, fast, and seek knowledge to become better individuals and contribute to a more just and balanced world, where sincerity and intention is just as important as action. Islam offers a deeply ethical and spiritually grounded framework for engaging with life and community — calling people from all walks of life to the one true message, regardless of their upbringing, culture, or faith background.

VicMuslims!

(Who are we? We are VicMuslims!)

VicMuslims is the official Muslim Students’ Association at Te Herenga Waka– Victoria University of Wellington. While today, the club and its members enjoy considerable structure and support from the University and wider community, the rich history of the wider Muslim community in Wellington is closely linked to Te Herenga Waka. As many of our rūruhi, koroheke (elder women and elder men) say; were it not for the existence of VUW, the Muslim community in Wellington would not be where it is today.

At present, we are proud to have 200+ members, including sizable international and domestic student populations. Our membership remains diverse, with most who whakapapa to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Tangata Whenua, and Europe. The club’s primary role is to support, encourage and foster a sense of belonging and community for Muslim students and staff on campus through events and engagements, as well as the operations of the Muslim prayer rooms on campus.

Tōku Tūrangawaewae ki Te Herenga Waka

(My standing place at Te Herenga Waka)

For Muslims, prayer (salah) is one of the Five Pillars of Islam—core practices that shape our daily lives. We pray five times a day, not just as a ritual, but as a way to stay tūturu (true) to who we are, our tuakiritanga (identity) as Muslims and stay grounded in purpose.

The Muslim presence at Te Herenga Waka began in the early 1960s with international students arriving on government scholarships. Dr Majed Khan, one of the first permanent Muslim residents and a professor at the university, led the growing community, hosting jummah, the Friday prayers, from his office in the Easterfield Building.

After his passing in 1975, prayers moved to the basement at Weir House, and through the late 70s and 80s, Kelburn campus remained a vibrant hub for Muslim students. Celebrations like Eid and Ramadan were regularly held in spaces such as the Murphy Building.

VicMuslims in its current format took shape in the early 2000s. Until 2015, prayer rooms were based at 86 Fairlie Terrace, before relocating to the Kirk Building in 2015. At Pipitea, spaces shifted from the Railway Station to Rutherford House in 2017, with Te Aro also maintaining a small prayer room in recent years.

Earlier this year, VicMuslims was honoured to have a series of renovations undertaken at the prayer rooms with considerable support from Property Services.

We share this history for two reasons. Firstly, it is a central aspect of our faith to have shukr (gratitude). We show immense gratitude to the wider community

at Te Herenga Waka for the priceless support it has given towards the fostering of a Wellington Muslim community that now numbers in the tens of thousands. Secondly, this story signifies the importance of tailored structures of support built into university and wider education systems, that ensure the journey of hundreds of our Muslim akonga (students) and staff, is made an easy one, through the reliance on faith and identity.

Muslim prayer rooms on campus are our safe space. They not only enable us to fulfil our five daily prayers, but extend as a source of empowerment, identity and solitude in what can otherwise be a buzzing environment.

Whether it is Muslim students who have moved to Wellington from around the country, or from halfway around the world, one of the primary steps in embarking on this journey is re-connecting our purpose and connecting to the community. Our Executive regularly sees that for many, the first steps taken after enrolment is application to access our prayer rooms

THAT is what community and identity is for us.

The ethos is that an individual who knows not a single person in the city, can come to Te Herenga Waka, visit the prayer rooms, and continue on in their journey with the support of the brothers and sisters they meet time and time again.

Don’t be afraid to reach out. Whether you are a Muslim student or staff member, someone interested in learning about Islam, or even someone who knows nothing about Islam but wants to meet new people and find out more- our doors are always open to help and support.

We are here to spread the aroha and manaakitanga taught to us by our faith. You can contact us at vicmuslimsclub@gmail.com or over on our Instagram @vicmuslimsclub

Much love, A Muslim Wāhine and the whānau at VicMuslims 2025

WORDS BY RYAN CLELAND (HE/HIM)

So you want to be the Pope, eh?

Well, you’ve come to the right place! Your journey to the Papacy is a busy one — filled with centuries-old traditions, divine callings, whispered Latin prayers in candlelit chapels, political intrigue cloaked in sacred robes and a slow and reverent climb up the ecclesiastical ladder that will test your faith, patience, and humility at every turn. First things first: to even be considered for the Papacy, you’ve got to tick a couple of non-negotiable boxes. You gotta be Catholic, and you must be a man. Sorry to all the hopefuls out there, but God (or at least the Church) is a bit of a stickler for the fine print. Now, once you’ve cleared that hurdle, it’s time to start your holy ascent up the papal corporate ladder – step one: become a priest.

Unfortunately when it comes to Catholicism it’s not as easy as signing up to a few email newsletters and getting ordained. Sadly, you’ll need a university-level degree to get started; usually in Catholic Philosophy, but anything steeped in scripture, theology, or canon law will do the trick. Basically, if it involves Bibles, you’re on the right track. Hell Heck, the current Pope even has a degree in Maths! (Yeah, suddenly that whole celibacy thing doesn’t seem quite so voluntary now, huh?). Oh yeah, you also need to be celibate. The last time the pope was regularly having sex (officially) was well over 800 years ago. Ticked all that?

Well congratulations you can now become a priest, you get to run your own church! Hooray! But we are aiming for bigger things, and next on the ladder? Becoming a bishop. Now, that’s a lot harder to do than being a priest. While, as of 2022 there were 407,000 priests, there are only around 5,300 Bishops and only 13 in New Zealand. Now on becoming one? You need to wait for the one in your area to die. Harsh, I know… but I suppose he is with God now.

Anyways, upon the death of a bishop, you need to be on the super secret potential bishop list that is kept up to date in case a death or retirement ever happens. To get on that list you need to be at least 35, have been “priesting” for at least 5 years and have a PHD in theology (ugh more schoolwork). Assuming that you did that and are on the list, the list is sent to a guy called the Apostolic Nuncio, there is one for each country (Ours is a Hungarian by the name of Gábor Pintér!). He picks a few, does some research and then the Vatican reviews it and hopefully picks you. After that, you need the current pope to sign off. Through all this, if anyone says no it will all be reset. Often these selections take many months, or even years! So be prepared to wait.

Congratulations! You’re officially a bishop! But don’t pop that communion wine just yet. Your next step is to become a Cardinal, basically a super bishop. The catch? You can’t apply for the role. The only way in is if the current Pope personally chooses you. Out of roughly 5,300 bishops worldwide, only about 200 ever make it to the red hat club. So, it’s time to cross your fingers, say a few extra prayers, and hope the Pope thinks you’re Cardinal material.

You’ve done it! You made it as a Cardinal! But now you’ll need to bide your time until the Pope either retires or dies (usually the latter).

Ok the Pope has died. It’s go time. Hopefully, you’ve seen Conclave, because you’re about to live it. You and your fellow Cardinals are locked away in the Vatican with no contact with the outside world. Four times a day, you all shuffle into the Sistine Chapel to vote “Survivor-style” writing names on slips of paper. The ballots are then burned. If black smoke rises from the chimney, no Pope has been chosen. Back to the drawing board. This can go on for days or even weeks (on average, about three), until someone finally gets that magic two-thirds majority.

So now you are Pope! Congrats and pick a brand new name, something historical preferably (us Popes love honoring the legacy of our predecessors) and enjoy leading around one billion in their religion! Enjoy!

The Bunkbed

In those days Brother Jean-Baptiste had no doubts about God. There on the top bunk, the balls of his feet pressed through the ironwork, his shoulders against the headboard, he would spend the early moments of a day curled up with Him. Before troubling memories were remembered, before aches and pains would flare up, before worries flooded back. Before, outside his window, dawn would drip from the horizon like butter and drown the furrowed vineyards in molten gold. Before the cocks crowed, and before la cloche des matines called him and the other seminarians in from their dormitories for morning mass.

But his peace had been disturbed. The rector had moved a newcomer, Brother Sebastian, to the bottom bunk. He was younger than Jean-Baptiste, ruddy and plump, and mottled with eczema. He displayed an arsenal of childish habits which quickly ostracised him from the more sophisticated seminarians. He had no taste for discussing matters ecumenical or debating Aquinas. When called upon in lectures, he did not answer in Latin, but in a dithering spell of “umms” and “ahhs”. And, as Jean-Baptiste discovered, he prayed aloud.

Despite the intrusion, Jean-Baptiste did not despise Sebastian publicly or privately; instead, he knew God had sent Sebastian to him for a reason. It was no secret Brother Sebastian was having doubts, about the vocation, about the faith, about God. Jean-Baptiste chalked these up to more childish foibles; he was well past these doubts himself. The last one he ever had, as he recalled, was the day his mother died, and the world seemed insurmountably cruel. It was only with the help of his parish priest that those doubts subsided. God had sent Sebastian to him for the same reason. So, in those precious morning moments, he pretended to snore, letting Sebastian believe he was still asleep, free to pray aloud without fear of eavesdropping.

“Dear God,” Sebastian whimpered, kneeling on the floor, elbows on his bed and his hands clutched together, “the doubts are back. Gnawing at me. Gutting me hollow, inside out. I only wish you could show me that you exist. That you are up there.”

Between his snores Jean-Baptiste felt the desperation in the room. He thought most seminarians would be well past the “show me a sign” phase. God, you have sent this man to me, he thought, and I will do my best to strengthen his faith.

“If you truly are there, let me know.” Sebastian hesitated. “At dinner serve us soupe aux poireaux like my mother used to make. I will know then.”

And so, after morning mass, Jean-Baptiste strolled beneath the cloistered terraces of the seminary and around the back to the servants’ entrance. He found Old Father Antoine Gauvine alone, dicing vegetables in the kitchen.

“I need a favour, Father,” said Jean-Baptiste.

“You’re not allowed back here; run along, you’ll be late for the deacon’s lecture.” Each syllable sliced by the rhythmic shuddering of the knife chops.

“It’s Brother Sebastian’s birthday today. He is homesick. It would mean a lot if you would cook his favourite: Soupe aux poireaux.” Jean-Baptiste scanned the monk’s jowls for any sign his pleas were working. “Or I fear he might abandon the cloth.”

“The menu is set in stone.” His eyes were steadfast on the blade in front of him.

“You must, Father, please.” Jean-Baptiste slipped his hands beneath his black Benedictine robes, pulling out coins from his purse and fanning them between his thumb and forefinger. “For two livres?”

“I cannot be bribed, Caiaphas.” The knife snapped silent. His eyes moved from the mutilated parsnips to Jean-Baptiste. “But make it four and I’ll know the Lord wills it.”

Jean-Baptiste took the rest of his money from his purse and slapped it into the hands of Old Father Antoine Gauvine.

That night in the dining hall, the servants brought out bowls of steaming soup and fresh bread. Jean-Baptiste looked down the trunk of the table to where Sebastian sat, a thin but proud smile carved onto his lips as he slurped up his answered prayer.

SHORT STORY

B. I. Godson

The next morning, Jean-Baptiste pretended to snore again, heaving in and out, his mucus rumbling in his sinuses.

“Dear God,” Sebastian had taken his position below. “I knew it. I knew you were there. I’ve always known it. But why has it taken you my whole life to break your silence? Was it just a coincidence? I just need more proof. You must know I owe twelve livres to the publican in town. My allowance won’t cover it. If you’re truly there, God, and you are truly just, send me the means to pay off my debts and I will serve you.”

That day Jean-Baptiste did not attend a single class. Instead, he went door to door around the village with a wicker basket, asking for donations to repair a stainedglass window in the seminary. “Our poor Virgin is missing her halo!” he would sob on doorsteps or over shop counters. His performance quickly earned him enough. Even the publican to whom Sebastian was indebted donated a large tithing that in and of itself could pay off half the credit. When, in the dusky evening, he returned to his bedchamber, he sat at his desk and counted. He slipped the exact amount into an envelope and placed it under Sebastian’s pillow and then, pocketing only four livres to reimburse the prior day’s expenses, he hid the rest under his. I’ll slip it into a collection basket at the next chance I get, he thought as he buried himself beneath his blanket.

When Sebastian returned, galumphing in and flopping on his bed, it was not long until his hands, wandering for warmth beneath his pillow, found the rigidity of the envelope.

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, look what I’ve found, Brother Jean-Baptiste!”

“What is it?” he asked, leering over from above.

“Money! Enough to pay off my debts in town! Did you see who delivered it?”

“No, I’ve been asleep, I haven’t heard a thing.”

“You’re a deep sleeper, Brother Jean-Baptiste.” He smiled, made the sign of the cross, genuflected, and began reciting:

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.”

Jean-Baptiste joined in: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” And they said the Lord’s Prayer, over and over, until they were muttering it in their sleep.

The following morning, Jean-Baptiste awoke first as usual. Soon after, he heard Sebastian’s waking, rustling his sheets beneath, and then the rusting bedframe squealing with inertia as he got up. Jean-Baptiste began his thunderous snores:

Hhhhuuuurrrkk... hhhkkk... hhhrroooo...

“Dear God,”

Hhhhuuuuuuuuuurrrkk... hhhrroooooooooooooo...

“I suppose you are really up there listening.”

Hhhhuuuurrrkk... hhhrroo...

“But how can I know it’s truly you? Why won’t these doubts leave?”

Hhhhhhhuuuuuuuuuuchukkkkkkk… Hroo…

“Just one final test and I will know you are truly who you say you are. And I will sacrifice my life for you, I will serve you as a man of the cloth.”

Hhhhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuukkkkkkk… Hroooooo…

“Brother Jean-Baptiste, who sleeps above me, please smite him dead. I cannot bear his snoring anymore.”

‘Giving It Up’ for Lipstick - the Anticipated Single Release From One of Wellington’s Local Celebrities

The single release party for Lipstick at Valhalla was a masterclass in reflecting the local band scene for Wellington students. The intimate yet passionate group littering the indigo, darkly lit scene with Penny Lane fur coats, Doc Marten boots and modern mullets all came together this freezing Wednesday night to celebrate their local alt-rock celebrities. I caught the end of opening act ‘Caught Inside’ polishing their set off with a rapidfire list of reminders including ‘free Palestine’ and ‘vote against that shitty fucking bill!’. Peak Wellington student life.

When Lipstick took the stage, it was immediately clear how many people in the crowd knew the band personally, or at the very least the lead singer Oliver Bailey, and were excited to see their friends perform onstage. They launched into their set. One of the first songs, introduced with an amped “Brand new! Brand new! Brand new!”, contained an epic bridge showcasing both the talent and the star-power of the four. The number directly after was opened with a simple “we love this song,” which, evidently, the crowd did too.

Finally, just when the energy seemed to be on the decline, we were informed “alright, enough of that new shit” and the opening electric guitar to their top streamed Spotify release ‘Party’ chimed in, provoking a justifiably massive audience reaction.

It’s not difficult to see why Lipstick is so favoured by Wellington students. Their outfits give the impression they were all under a different dress code from one another, and their nonchalance to the audience seems as though they are trying to make themselves appear untouchable.However, it is the reluctant smile that played on Oliver’s lips when the crowd starting screaming every word to ‘Party’, and the fact that the venue was so small performers had to hop from the stage into the dance floor to enter and exit that made the sense of community felt.

As for the single itself, ‘Giving It Up': it has a definite alternative sound which begins reminiscent of 90s shoegaze alternative rock, but is quickly overtaken by Lipstick’s classic college rock style. Drums, riffs and a general auditory aesthetic flow partner with a voice gliding effortlessly through the flurry of instrumental work behind him. It’s a song that speaks on growing up and becoming someone new without realising it. If nothing else, it’s catchy, it’s an easy listen without being mindlessly commercial and it brings forward the aspects of indie rock that appeals to Uni students anywhere. This band is hopefully up-and-coming, but no matter where they end up, they are worth a listen.

Madeleine Vivienne Pierre

SOC 101

Few things have been as devastating for the socialist project than its span as a state religion.

For much of the twentieth century so-called “communist” states raised Marx and Engels to the status of saints. Giant monuments of their heads sprouted in city squares and party members recited passages from their works by heart to secure their position.

What had once been a movement of ordinary people from below was twisted into an exercise in unquestioning loyalty. Meanwhile critical sections of Marx’s work on the dangers of the state, on freedom and democracy, were quietly forgotten.

The problem wasn’t faith: it was politics as faith, where devotion serves to excuse serious abuses of power rather than uphold an honest commitment to something sacred.

Capitalism, however, holds nothing sacred. Oil firms lay pipelines through burial grounds; seafood companies contest wāhi tapu; imperial forces bomb places of worship to accommodate luxury resorts.

Perhaps just as sinister is the way capital moulds belief into its own image. US Christian fundamentalism, for instance, spread via a steady stream of oil money in the early 1900s. Its very foundational text, The Fundamentals: A Testimony To The Truth, was conceived, published, and distributed by Lyman Stewart: the co-founder of Union Oil. A hundred years on, that investment yields Trump (the “drill, baby, drill!” president) as the Messiah.

Think about it: the most intimate beliefs of millions of people—the nature of the universe, how to live, who to trust, what happens when you die—shaped by extractive industries. The very same industries that built the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Not only does socialism require freedom of religious practice, true freedom of religious practice requires socialism.

Is freedom possible when your mosque has been turned to rubble?

When you can’t visit your urupā or chapel because they have been “ransacked and burned” by Crown troops? (the exact words used in the Crown’s acknowledgement to Ngāti Hāua), when your personal beliefs can be shaped by anyone with enough capital?

Spiritual freedom requires a fair distribution of material resources. This way everyone can explore and pursue their faith—or other faiths—without obstruction or interference.

In turn, spiritual practice might yet offer some useful resources for socialism in the here-and-now: toward a movement which collects around a shared yearning, which recognises doubt, and which opens an expanded conception of belonging.

Across

Joy to the World!

Joy to the World!

1. UK's state news

1. UK's state news

4. Kiwi slang for hen

9. Kind of cards that foretell future

4. Kiwi slang for hen

11. Name for Africa in Rastafarianism

9. Kind of cards that foretell future

13. Australian Aboriginal practice of wandering

11. Name for Africa in Rastafarianism

14. Original prophet of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism

13. Australian Aboriginal practice of wandering

18. Hindu light festival

20. Ko of YouTube fame

14. Original prophet of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism

22. Nickname for Israeli PM

18. Hindu light festival

24. Māori sea god

20. Ko of YouTube fame

27. OKC team, NBA champs

22. Nickname for Israeli PM

29. Religious leader in Judaism

24. Māori sea god

30. Ancient Indian book of love

27. OKC team, NBA champs

31. Actor with famous Scientology ties

32. "The adversary", biblically speaking

29. Religious leader in Judaism

33. Hindu island in Muslim Indonesia

30. Ancient Indian book of love

35. Ceremony by which a pope is chosen

31. Actor with famous Scientology ties

37. Monkey king of Chinese legend

32. "The adversary", biblically speaking

39. Big tree, or forest god in Te Ao Māori

40. Surname of Gotham philanthropist Bruce

33. Hindu island in Muslim Indonesia

41. Biblical bread

35. Ceremony by which a pope is chosen

42. Member of Latter-Day Saints

37. Monkey king of Chinese legend

44. Where you might go for a workout on campus

39. Big tree, or forest god in Te Ao Māori

40. Surname of Gotham philanthropist Bruce

41. Biblical bread

42. Member of Latter-Day Saints

44. Where you might go for a workout on campus

45. Opposite of halal

2. Jewish coming of age ceremony for boys

2. Jewish coming of age ceremony for boys

3. Surname of Daily Planet reporter Clark

3. Surname of Daily Planet reporter Clark

5. Ancient Hindu & Buddhist concept; Taylor Swift's boyfriend

6. Second-largest branch of Islam

5. Ancient Hindu & Buddhist concept; Taylor Swift's boyfriend

7. New Pope's papal name

6. Second-largest branch of Islam

8. Big fish, or bus card

10. Big cube in Islam

7. New Pope's papal name

8. Big fish, or bus card

12. Messianic figure in Islam; Chalamet in Dune movies

10. Big cube in Islam

15. The North Island, according to Māori stories

16. Spiritual leader of Iran

12. Messianic figure in Islam; Chalamet in Dune movies

17. Governing body for world football

19. Ko of golf fame

15. The North Island, according to Māori stories

16. Spiritual leader of Iran

21. Lefty NYC Mayoral hopeful

22. Jewish circumcision ceremony

23. Religiously-run campus cafe

19. Ko of golf fame

25. UK Music festival, for short

17. Governing body for world football

21. Lefty NYC Mayoral hopeful

26. Birthplace of J.C.

28. Palestinian model family

45. Opposite of halal Down

22. Jewish circumcision ceremony

23. Religiously-run campus cafe

33. Reluctant messiah in Monty Python film

34. NZ Church described as "cult"

25. UK Music festival, for short

36. Indigenous name of Melbourne

26. Birthplace of J.C.

38. Country visited by Jesus, according to Mormons.

28. Palestinian model family

43. Greek drink of the gods, according to Homer

33. Reluctant messiah in Monty Python film

34. NZ Church described as "cult"

36. Indigenous name of Melbourne

38. Country visited by Jesus, according to Mormons.

43. Greek drink of the gods, according to Homer

SUDOKU: Angel Numbers

MAZE: Search for the Holy Grail

1. 1. Joe Biden, 2. Mikhail Gorbachev, 3. b. Christian Cullen, 4. Taste 5. Tzatziki 6. b. Aratere, 7. The Pirates of Penzance, 8. 1950s, 9. 10 Downing Street, 10. Beanie.

Te Urukeiha Tuhua Intern

Saad Aamir Distributor + Contributing Writer

should be first brought to the CEO in writing (ceo@vuwsa.org. nz). Letters to the editor can be sent to editor@salient.org.nz. If not satisfied with the response, complaints should be directed to the Media Council (info@ mediacouncil.org.nz)

Will Irvine Editor in Chief

Cal Ma Designer

Nate Murray Junior Designer Jia Sharma Music Editor

Taipari Taua Te Ao Māori Editor

Darcy Lawrey News Writer

Teddy O'Neill Podcasts Guy

Georgia Wearing Columns Editor

• Te Herenga Waka students only

• Membership expires Sunday 9 November

• Includes access to gym facilities and group exercise classes at both Kelburn and Pipitea campuses

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