The constitution, which is comprised of several basic laws, and policies, provide for religious freedom, including the right to manifest religion or belief in worship, observance, practice, or teaching, either individually or in community with others, and either in public or in private. The law prohibits discrimination based on religious belief. In November the Auckland High Court denied refugee status for and ordered the deportation of an Indian Christian evangelist who said he faced death threats from “Hindu extremists” in India.
Jewish and Muslim leaders reported anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim incidents, and the Human Rights Commission (HRC) received 82 complaints of discrimination based on religious belief for 2015-2016, 60 percent more than the previous year. The HRC, government officials, and community leaders denounced these incidents of discrimination. Reportedly, an imam’s anti-Semitic remarks received an extensive audience in a video released in November. The imam said his remarks had been altered. In July a Muslim woman was told not to apply for a job if she continued to wear a headscarf. The company subsequently apologized. Anti-Muslim pamphlets were circulated in the Whanganui region in September. In August parents criticized an American pastor’s motivational speech at a secondary school that they said was “stealth evangelism.”
The Ambassador and embassy and consulate general officers continued to meet with the government and representatives of all major religious groups throughout the country to discuss religious freedom and the role of religion in society. The Ambassador and Consul General also engaged in a series of meetings with resettled refugees from diverse religious backgrounds to learn about the successes and challenges of integrating into the country.