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JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON / Stuff
Aya Al-Umari speaks at the sentencing of the mosque shooter. His brother Hussein was one of his 51 victims.
Aya Al-Umari has called New Zealand home for 23 years.
But that didn’t stop an older couple from stalking her in a North Canterbury store Monday, repeatedly asking if she was a “born and raised” New Zealander.
Two videos posted on Twitter, which have been viewed thousands of times, show that the incident unfolded at Rangiora Farmers.
Al-Umari said she was at the makeup counter with her mother, discussing a shade of lipstick in Arabic.
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“Since we are in a pandemic, Mom does the sensible thing and tests the lipstick on her disinfected hand, then from her hands she applies it to her lips.”
She said that an older woman who had been standing nearby turned to her husband and said, “You shouldn’t be doing that.”
Al-Umari asked her if she wanted to say something to them directly, but the woman ignored her and instead told her husband, “Okay, it won’t be long before you leave our country.”
“So I had a choice, do I say something or do I keep quiet?
“A million things were going through my head… I couldn’t believe it. I was stunned by his audacity. “
He asked the woman what her problem was and started filming when she “asked me if I was born and raised New Zealander.”
Iain McGregor / Stuff
Aya Al-Umari shortly before a trip to Mecca, part of her journey of healing after the death of her brother.
The couple were enraged and threatened to sue her for recording them, before a staff member intervened.
“The Farmers staff handled it very professionally … She walked the man outside, then made our transaction and apologized profusely.”
Al-Umari said she is also grateful to other shop customers who supported her and for an “overwhelming” number of messages of support that have flooded her inbox.
“My message to others is that if you see racist behavior like this, say so.
“It shows solidarity and that this woman’s behavior is not right.”
She and her mother were “quite shocked” by the incident.
“It just ruins your day… We were just trying to explore a new place, it shouldn’t be this way.
“At the end of the day, we are all human and we all have to live together in peace. New Zealand is my home, and nothing can prevent this from being my home, not even when my brother was killed.
Hussein Al-Umari was killed in the attacks on the Christchurch mosque at Masjid An-Nur.
Waimakariri District Mayor Dan Gordon said he was shocked to learn of the incident.
“I can safely say that Waimakariri is a welcoming community, and our residents would be horrified to hear that someone is treated with such ignorance.”
