Anna Wallis: Courage to challenge those behind flyers

Anna Wallis PHOTO/FILE

AIRINI BEAUTRAIS restores your faith in human nature.
When the gutless anti-Muslim flyers were spread around Whanganui like something nasty on the bottom of your shoe, she wasn't having a bar of it.
The St John's Hill resident was prepared to go public in the condemnation of the flyers and the people who wrote them.
Most Whanganui people would have agreed with her.
The Right Wing Resistance flyers disparaged the Muslim community with the usual slurs. The material probably isn't against the law but it is completely out of place anywhere in the world - and in Whanganui just seems like an aberration.
Also prepared to be named was Vijeshwar Prasad. The leader of the Multicultural Council of Rangitikei/Whanganui was right in demanding the culprits "front up and face me".
Right Wing Resistance would not be named when they spoke to the Chronicle. Trying to stir up trouble in Whanganui and hiding behind flyers is cheap and cowardly.
The group says the campaign in Whanganui is some kind of pre-emptive strike against the Islamisation of the city. Presumably they mean Sharia law - and, presumably, they've been reading too much Daily Mail online because, when asked, they could not supply any evidence.
To date no burkas have been seen at Castlecliff beach and the pubs are yet to be closed down.
The group says it is worried about jobs, poverty and housing. That's terrific.
Rather than lay the blame on a comic-book baddie, lots of hard working, positive community groups need a helping hand in Whanganui. Step outside and meet them.