PremiumOpinionOpinion byDane GiraudNZ Herald·29 Jun, 2026 05:00 PM5 mins to readDane Giraud is a New Zealand-based screenwriter and council member of the Free Speech Union.Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki's remarks about Muslim, Sikh and Hindu faiths have reignited debate over New Zealand's hate speech laws. Photo / Getty ImagesTHE FACTSHindu leaders are calling on police to take action against Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki after he made inflammatory remarks calling to “purge” communities of Muslim, Sikh and Hindu faiths from New Zealand and burn down their places of worship.Ethnic Communities Minister Mark Mitchell has labelled Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki’s latest social media comments the “actions of a scared bully”.In December, a Sikh parade in South Auckland was disrupted by protesters linked to Brian Tamaki and Destiny Church.The statement issued this week by New Zealand’s Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist leaders condemning Brian Tamaki deserves to be read with sympathy.
It comes from communities that have lived with bomb threats, intimidation and attacks on their places of worship, and whose children are now frightened to
