Christchurch mosque shootings: 'We need justice,' says Islamic Women's Council

Al Noor mosque from South Hagley Park in Christchurch, which was attacked on March 15 last year. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Muslim community whose safety concerns were largely ignored before the March 15 attacks hope the Royal Commission of Inquiry will reveal the shortcomings of the public service - and lead to reform.

But fears remain that parts of the commission's report will be kept secret for "national security" reasons, and there is a possibility that it won't be made public until after the September election.

"We need justice," Islamic Women's Council of NZ spokeswoman Anjum Rahman told the Herald.

"It's a fundamental basic right of society to have justice, and for people to take responsibility when they were in positions to make a difference.

"If the information is not put in the public arena, how are we going to hold people accountable who were in positions where they could have done something?"

The commission, chaired by Sir William Young, was set up to look at how the terror attack, which left 51 people dead, happened and whether it could have been prevented.

One focus is on how the state sector keeps the public safe, and a key issue will be whether the spy agencies - the Security Intelligence Service and the Government Communications Security Bureau - were too focused on the Muslim community as a threat, rather than a target.

That is of particular interest to the Muslim community, who felt ignored when they raised concerns to officials over a period of years about the rise of the far right and the potential threat to their safety.

Anjum Rahman is the spokeswoman for the Islamic Women's Council of NZ and also a member of the Muslim Community Reference for the Royal Commission into the March 15 attacks. Photo / Stephen Barker

The commission is due to deliver its final report to the Government on April 30.

It will be up to the Government to decide when to release it publicly, but with the alleged gunman's trial in June and the House rising on August 12, Rahman is concerned it won't be released until after the election.

"Even if it's released, will the recommendations be implemented, and which ones, and what will be the appetite to change things?"

Rahman, who is also a member of the Muslim Community Reference Group that has engaged with the commission, expected a thorough and comprehensive report.

"But we have felt really powerless through the process. We can't make them release it, or when it will be released, or what will happen as a result. That feels really difficult."

The commission cannot publish information that might jeopardise New Zealand's security or defence interests, including the names of anyone who works at the SIS or GCSB except for the heads of those agencies whose names are already public.

Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin hopes the Royal Commission's report will be released before the election. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Nor can it reveal the capability or operations of not only the SIS or GCSB, but also the Department of Internal Affairs, the Department of the PM and Cabinet, Police, the Independent Police Conduct Authority, Inland Revenue, Customs and the Ministries of Justice, Mfat (Foreign Affairs and Trade), and MBIE (Business, Innovation and Employment).

That means the raw evidence from those agencies may never see the light of day, though the commission will look to include any relevant evidence in its report.

The same may apply to about 200 other organisations - including other ministries, state sector agencies and DHBs - which can choose to publicly release information, or whose submissions the commission can decide to release partially or in full.

There have also been submissions from state sector whistleblowers and others who have asked for anonymity, though the substance of their submissions may feature in the commission's report.

The commission wants to deliver a report that can be released in its entirety, but it may also choose to deliver a separate report of classified information if it believes the Government needs to see such material.

Sir William Young, chair of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the March 15 terror attack. Photo / Supplied

Ultimately it is up to the Government to decide what to release publicly.

But nothing will be released until the trial of the alleged gunman has finished, as doing so would infringe on fair trial rights.

The trial is set to start on June 2 and could last six to 12 weeks.

A spokesman for Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin said the Government wanted to release the report at least before the election, but that would depend on the trial, including whether any verdict might be appealed.

Rahman remains hopeful for state sector reform but sceptical.

She was not encouraged when her submission to a bill before Parliament to reform the public service seemed to fall on deaf ears.

"We put in a written submission and did an oral submission to the select committee - none of the MPs asked us any questions.

"I'm not sure how seriously our submissions will be taken, and whether the reforms that are needed will happen."

She said the public service needed to look at partnerships with the community, rather than seeing itself as a giver and the public as customers or takers.

"And they see themselves as the holders of knowledge, and the community are the recipients of this knowledge. Our experience has been completely the opposite of that.

"All community is a valuable knowledge base. They need to stop talking about customers and clients and start talking partnership and partners, and seeing that relationship as being more equal."

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