A Muslim Community leader Aliya Danzeisen and a Terrorism expert Chris Wilson were interviewed last week by Newshub Nation about the issue of prisoners right to send mail. The first question was directed to the Muslim community leader who was asked how news of Tarrant’s letter had impacted the Muslim Community.
Aliya DanzeisenWell, the first thing was shock and it reverberated throughout our community; fear for our safety; fear for the safety of people around the world… not just Muslims, but all communities targeted by the alt-right and white supremacists. And it shook us, to be honest.
Interviewer
So you’re fearful that it could be an inspiration to somebody else out there?
Aliya Danzeisen
Well, we’ve got to get it right. There’s no room for mistakes, and this was a mistake to allow it to go out.
Interviewer
Chris, I mean, this is what you study. How dangerous… I mean, you’ve actually read the letter?
Chris Wilson
I have.
Interviewer.
How dangerous is it?
Chris Wilson
It’s very dangerous. It touches on all the key points of the white nationalist agenda and ideology. There’s misogyny in it; there’s talking about the threat to Europe, and he’s very concerned about Europe; and then, most importantly, talking about ‘a great conflict is coming, and you need to prepare to protect your people’. These are the key mobilising emotional points of the white nationalist agenda. So for that to go out to a supporter is incredibly dangerous.
A little later in the interview, it is revealed that Corrections has admitted that a second unsuitable letter was allowed to be sent.
Aliya Danzeisen
We’re concerned about all correspondence not having been adequately reviewed and vetted. That’s been raised with Corrections and with the chief executive. I spoke with her yesterday, and we raised the concerns about that. And the fact that the first letter even got out, knowing it was headed to Russia, without extra vetting and reading, was shocking. However, we’re talking about ‘let’s get it right now’. Let’s make sure the processes are in place. We need experts who know what they’re talking about. This isn’t a place that people should be learning on the job about it. […]
Next, the content of the letters is discussed and the terrorism expert Chris Wilson makes the surprising claim that “any letters from him out to his supporters, no matter the content, are dangerous”
In the interview, Wilson claimed that ANY discussion about Tarrant would give him ” oxygen” and would turn attention to his manifesto. This he said was dangerous regardless of the content of the letter. Essentially he saw any letter from Tarrant as a spark that would ignite a dangerous flame. He also expressed the view that Tarrant should not be allowed to receive letters because that would allow him to develop a “cult following.”
Interestingly Tommy Robinson who is not a terrorist has been prevented from receiving his fan mail in prison in the UK where they too seem to think that some prisoners deserve less human rights than other prisoners.
Interviewer
What do we say to the argument that prisoners have a right to be able to send out mail? Is it a human right to be able to do that, Aliya?
Aliya Danzeisen
He lost his rights when he acted in a way— He lost his rights to freedom of movement; he can lose his rights to freedom of communication. And the fact that he denied 51 people the ability to communicate means that he can be shut down. Human right – obviously we believe in people having rights and fair due process, but in this case, he wants to inspire other people to do something wrong, and we need to stop it.
Interviewer
And the law does say that correspondence is allowed unless it endangers safety or encourages violence. So would you be happy… are you happy that the law is there? It’s just not being applied.
Aliya Danzeisen
Right, and we need people inside of Corrections, inside of the police, across the board in whatever agency, making sure that they are getting it right regarding the alt-right. They have focused on the Muslim community for years, and they know us well, but they haven’t focused on the alt-right. They need to be focusing on them […]
Interviewer
Okay, now, this is not the end of the matter, though, because the alleged Christchurch gunman has received 48 letters in prison — 14 have been blocked, 16 still under scrutiny, 18 delivered. So, Chris, as an expert on terrorism, what do you think is in those letters that are going to him?
Chris Wilson
I would imagine that they would be support letters. They’ll be from people who see him as some sort of leader for the movement and a martyr for the movement.
So this is part of him developing a cult following, as awful and horrendous as it is, in the same way, that Breivik did. So him receiving letters is all part of building this following, but the main thing is to stop him corresponding with people, particularly in ways that are going to incite violence.[…]
Interviewer
Right. Okay, so, if we’re talking about monitoring all terrorism or suspected terrorism or levels of threats equally…I mean, Chris, what would you…? Is this where we should be focusing our attention or should it be possible Islamic terrorism? Or are there other forms of terrorism in New Zealand that we should be looking at?
Chris Wilson
I think those are the two main forms of terrorism, and there has been too much focus on Islamist terrorism, that is clear. There needs to be a recalibration and balance, but that’s not to say that Islamist terrorism has gone away. That’s… In terms of other forms of terrorism, I don’t… I’m not…
Aliya Danzeisen
There is eco-terrorism. There are a lot of different terrorisms, and people need to be focusing on them, but we need to upskill regarding the alt-right and the supremacists out there, and they haven’t upskilled, and therefore, they’re behind the eight ball, and they need to be investing in it and doing it well and doing it right. And you’re right going to academia is one area that they should be going to, and Kiwis have been doing things right, and we need to have a Kiwi approach. But we’ve got to bring in people who are in the know.