Auckland Mayor Says Sorry for a Bad Comment and Meets Muslim Leaders

Apr 24, 2026, 07:08
A2

Auckland Mayor Says Sorry for a Bad Comment and Meets Muslim Leaders

Introduction

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said a bad thing to a worker from RNZ. He called the worker a ''Muslim terrorist''. He also talked about the worker''s beard. The worker felt hurt. The mayor later met with Muslim leaders.

Main Body

The bad thing happened on Monday. The mayor went to RNZ''s office for an interview. A worker said sorry for a delay. The mayor said, ''Security cannot be very tight if a Muslim terrorist is with us.'' He also said something about the worker''s beard. The worker is from India. He said he felt shocked and hurt. The mayor sent an email to say sorry. He said it was a bad joke. He said his staff told him the worker was Sikh. He said he respects Sikh people. The worker accepted the sorry. He said he hopes public figures think about their words. RNZ said the comment was not okay. Later, the mayor met with FIANZ, a group of Muslim leaders. He said sorry again. FIANZ said the comment was racism. They said leaders must be careful after the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks. They invited the mayor to visit a mosque. He said yes.

Conclusion

The mayor said sorry in public. Muslim leaders want him to think about his words. They want him to be a good leader. This event shows that words can hurt. People are talking about stereotypes.

Vocabulary Learning

comment
Something you say about a person or thing评论
Example:The bad comment hurt the worker.
hurt
To cause pain or make someone sad伤害
Example:His words hurt the worker's feelings.
meet
To come together with someone会见
Example:The mayor met Muslim leaders to say sorry.
sorry
Feeling sad because you did something wrong抱歉
Example:He said sorry for his bad comment.
worker
A person who has a job工人
Example:The worker felt shocked and hurt.

Sentence Learning

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said a bad thing to a worker from RNZ.
This sentence has a subject (Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown), a verb (said), and an object (a bad thing). The phrase 'to a worker from RNZ' tells who received the action.本句有主語（奧克蘭市長韋恩·布朗）、動詞（說）以及賓語（一件不好的事）。短語「對一名來自RNZ的工人」說明了動作的接收者。
He called the worker a ''Muslim terrorist''.
The verb 'called' is used with two objects: the worker (indirect) and 'a Muslim terrorist' (direct object). It means he gave that name to the worker.動詞「稱呼」帶有兩個賓語：工人（間接賓語）以及「穆斯林恐怖分子」（直接賓語）。意思是該市長用這個名稱來稱呼工人。
The worker felt hurt.
This is a simple sentence with subject (The worker), verb (felt), and adjective (hurt) describing the worker's feeling.這是一個簡單句，包含主語（工人）、動詞（感到）以及形容詞（受傷）來描述工人的感受。
The mayor sent an email to say sorry.
The verb 'sent' has an object (an email). The phrase 'to say sorry' explains the purpose of the email.動詞「發送」帶有賓語（一封電子郵件）。短語「以表示道歉」說明了該郵件的目的。
Muslim leaders want him to think about his words.
The verb 'want' is followed by an object (him) and an infinitive phrase (to think about his words). This shows what the leaders want the mayor to do.動詞「希望」後接賓語（他）以及不定式短語（思考他的言論）。這顯示了領袖們希望市長做什麼。
B2

Auckland Mayor Apologizes for Offensive Remark to RNZ Staff Member, Meets with Islamic Leaders

Introduction

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has apologized for making an inappropriate comment to an RNZ staff member, calling him a ''Muslim terrorist'' and commenting on his beard. The incident led to a meeting with the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ), which criticized the remark as racist.

Main Body

The incident occurred on Monday as the mayor arrived at RNZ’s Auckland offices for an interview. According to an RNZ spokesperson, the staff member greeted Brown and apologized for a delay, explaining that security was tight. The mayor responded with a comment that, as RNZ paraphrased, was along the lines of ''security can’t be very tight if we’re being escorted by a Muslim terrorist.'' Brown also made a remark about the staff member’s beard. The staff member, who is of Indian descent, stated that he was shocked and hurt by the comments. Brown subsequently sent an email apology to the employee, describing the remark as a ''fumbled attempt at humour.'' In that apology, Brown noted that his staff had mistakenly informed him the man was Sikh, and he expressed respect for the Sikh community. The staff member acknowledged the apology but expressed hope that the incident would encourage public figures to reflect on language and stereotyping. RNZ’s chief people officer, Sarah Neilson, stated that the comment was unacceptable regardless of intent. Later that day, Brown met with FIANZ for an extended discussion. FIANZ reported that the mayor offered a sincere apology. The organization expressed deep concern, claiming that the remark constituted ''downright racism'' and reinforced Islamophobic stereotypes. FIANZ emphasized that public officials bear a special responsibility following the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks to avoid language that normalizes or trivializes Islamophobia. The group invited Brown to visit Masjid An Nur mosque in Christchurch and to speak with Muslim community elders in Auckland, an invitation he accepted.

Conclusion

The mayor has issued a public apology and met with Muslim leaders, who called for genuine reflection and a commitment to respectful public leadership. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about language and stereotyping in New Zealand’s public discourse.

Vocabulary Learning

constituted
To be considered as something; to form or make up.被視為；構成。
Example:FIANZ claimed that the remark constituted 'downright racism'.
fumbled
To handle something clumsily or make a mistake, especially in speech or action.笨拙地處理或說錯話，尤指在言語或行動上出錯。
Example:The mayor described his remark as a 'fumbled attempt at humour.'
normalizes
To make something seem normal or acceptable, especially something that should not be.使某事顯得不正常或不可接受的事情變得正常或可接受。
Example:Public officials should avoid language that normalizes Islamophobia.
reinforced
To strengthen or support an idea, feeling, or behavior.加強或支持某種想法、感受或行為。
Example:The organization said the remark reinforced Islamophobic stereotypes.
trivializes
To make something seem less important or serious than it really is.使某事顯得不那麼重要或嚴重。
Example:The group warned against language that trivializes the impact of hate speech.

Sentence Learning

The staff member, who is of Indian descent, stated that he was shocked and hurt by the comments.
Relative clause "who is of Indian descent" gives extra information about the staff member. Passive voice "was shocked and hurt" focuses on the staff member's experience rather than who caused it.關係從句「who is of Indian descent」提供關於該員工的額外資訊。被動語態「was shocked and hurt」強調員工的感受，而非造成者。
FIANZ emphasized that public officials bear a special responsibility following the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks to avoid language that normalizes or trivializes Islamophobia.
Relative clause "that normalizes or trivializes Islamophobia" defines the type of language. The main clause uses "that" to introduce a reported statement.關係從句「that normalizes or trivializes Islamophobia」界定何種語言。主句使用「that」引導轉述陳述。
The group invited Brown to visit Masjid An Nur mosque in Christchurch and to speak with Muslim community elders in Auckland, an invitation he accepted.
Reduced relative clause "he accepted" (omitting "that" or "which") modifies "an invitation". This structure adds detail concisely.省略關係代詞的關係從句「he accepted」（省略了「that」或「which」）修飾「an invitation」。此結構簡潔地補充細節。
The mayor has issued a public apology and met with Muslim leaders, who called for genuine reflection and a commitment to respectful public leadership.
Non-defining relative clause "who called for..." provides additional information about the Muslim leaders. It is set off by commas.非限定性關係從句「who called for...」提供關於穆斯林領袖的額外資訊，以逗號分隔。
The mayor responded with a comment that, as RNZ paraphrased, was along the lines of ''security can’t be very tight if we’re being escorted by a Muslim terrorist.''
Relative clause "that... was along the lines of..." describes the comment. Within the quote, passive voice "being escorted" and conditional "if" show logic.關係從句「that... was along the lines of...」描述該評論。引語內被動語態「being escorted」和條件句「if」展示邏輯。
C2

Auckland Mayor Apologizes for Remarks to RNZ Staff Member, Meets with Islamic Federation

Introduction

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has apologized for making an inappropriate remark to an RNZ staff member, referring to him as a "Muslim terrorist" and commenting on his appearance. The incident has prompted a meeting with the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ), which described the comment as an act of racism.

Main Body

The incident occurred on Monday as the mayor arrived at RNZ’s Auckland offices for an interview. According to an RNZ spokesperson, the staff member greeted Brown and apologized for a delay, noting that security was tight. The mayor responded with a comment that, as paraphrased by RNZ, was along the lines of "security can’t be very tight if we’re being escorted by a Muslim terrorist." Brown also made a remark about the staff member’s beard. The staff member, who is of Indian descent, stated that he was shocked and hurt by the comments. Brown subsequently sent an email apology to the employee, characterizing the remark as a "fumbled attempt at humour." In that apology, Brown noted he had been mistakenly informed by his staff that the man was Sikh, and expressed respect for the Sikh community. The staff member acknowledged the apology but expressed hope that the incident would prompt reflection on language and stereotyping by public figures. RNZ’s chief people officer, Sarah Neilson, stated that the comment was unacceptable regardless of intent. Later that day, Brown met with FIANZ for an extended discussion. FIANZ reported that the mayor offered a sincere apology. The organization expressed deep concern, stating that the remark constituted "downright racism" and reinforced Islamophobic stereotypes. FIANZ noted that public officials bear a special responsibility following the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks to avoid language that normalizes or trivializes Islamophobia. The group invited Brown to visit Masjid An Nur mosque in Christchurch and to speak with Muslim community elders in Auckland, an invitation he accepted.

Conclusion

The mayor has issued a public apology and met with Muslim leaders, who have called for genuine reflection and a commitment to respectful public leadership. The incident highlights ongoing sensitivities around language and stereotyping in New Zealand’s public discourse.

Vocabulary Learning

downright
Used as an intensifier to emphasize something is absolute, complete, or unequivocally negative in nature.釋義：用作加強語氣的副詞，強調某事物是絕對的、徹底的或毫無疑問地負面的。
Example:FIANZ expressed deep concern, stating that the remark constituted 'downright racism' and reinforced Islamophobic stereotypes.
paraphrased
To restate something spoken or written in different words, often to clarify or summarize, without altering the original meaning.釋義：用不同的詞語重新表述某人所說或所寫的內容，通常為了釐清或總結，而不改變原意。
Example:The mayor responded with a comment that, as paraphrased by RNZ, was along the lines of 'security can’t be very tight if we’re being escorted by a Muslim terrorist.'
sensitivities
The state of being easily offended, upset, or aware of potential offense in a given context, especially regarding social, cultural, or political issues.釋義：在特定情境下容易感到被冒犯、不安，或對潛在冒犯性高度敏感的狀態，尤其涉及社會、文化或政治議題。
Example:The incident highlights ongoing sensitivities around language and stereotyping in New Zealand’s public discourse.
stereotyping
The act of forming a fixed, oversimplified, and often prejudiced image or idea of a particular type of person or group.釋義：對特定類型的人或群體形成固定、過度簡化且常帶有偏見的看法或觀念的行為。
Example:The staff member acknowledged the apology but expressed hope that the incident would prompt reflection on language and stereotyping by public figures.
trivializes
To make something seem less important, serious, or significant than it really is, often in a way that is inappropriate or offensive.釋義：使某事物顯得不那麼重要、嚴重或有意義，通常以不恰當或冒犯的方式進行。
Example:FIANZ noted that public officials bear a special responsibility following the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks to avoid language that normalizes or trivializes Islamophobia.

Sentence Learning

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has apologized for making an inappropriate remark to an RNZ staff member, referring to him as a "Muslim terrorist" and commenting on his appearance.
The sentence consists of a main clause ('Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has apologized for making an inappropriate remark to an RNZ staff member') followed by two coordinated present participial phrases ('referring to him as a "Muslim terrorist"' and 'commenting on his appearance') that function as adverbial modifiers, elaborating on the nature of the remark. The use of the present participle adds descriptive density.句子由一個主句（「Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has apologized for making an inappropriate remark to an RNZ staff member」）及兩個並列的現在分詞短語（「referring to him as a "Muslim terrorist"」和「commenting on his appearance」）組成，這些分詞短語作為狀語修飾語，進一步說明該言論的性質。使用現在分詞增加了描述的密度。
The incident has prompted a meeting with the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ), which described the comment as an act of racism.
The main clause ('The incident has prompted a meeting with the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ)') is followed by a non-restrictive relative clause introduced by 'which', modifying 'FIANZ' and providing additional information about the organization's characterization of the comment. The relative clause is non-essential and set off by a comma.主句（「The incident has prompted a meeting with the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ)」）後接一個由「which」引導的非限制性關係從句，修飾「FIANZ」，並提供關於該組織如何描述該言論的補充信息。該關係從句是非必要的，並以逗號分隔。
The mayor responded with a comment that, as paraphrased by RNZ, was along the lines of "security can’t be very tight if we’re being escorted by a Muslim terrorist."
The main clause ('The mayor responded with a comment') contains a relative clause ('that ... was along the lines of ...') modifying 'comment'. Within the relative clause, a parenthetical adverbial phrase ('as paraphrased by RNZ') is inserted, and the quoted speech itself includes a conditional structure ('if we’re being escorted...'), demonstrating layered embedding and syntactic complexity.主句（「The mayor responded with a comment」）包含一個修飾「comment」的關係從句（「that ... was along the lines of ...」）。在關係從句內，插入了一個插入語狀語短語（「as paraphrased by RNZ」），而引語本身包含一個條件結構（「if we’re being escorted...」），展示了分層嵌入和句法複雜性。
In that apology, Brown noted he had been mistakenly informed by his staff that the man was Sikh, and expressed respect for the Sikh community.
The sentence begins with a prepositional phrase ('In that apology') followed by a main clause with a compound predicate: the subject 'Brown' governs two verb phrases coordinated by 'and'. The first verb phrase ('noted') takes a noun clause ('he had been mistakenly informed by his staff that the man was Sikh') which itself contains a passive construction and an embedded that-clause. The second verb phrase ('expressed respect for the Sikh community') is simpler. This structure demonstrates reported speech, passive voice, and coordination.句子以介詞短語（「In that apology」）開頭，後接一個帶有並列謂語的主句：主語「Brown」支配兩個由「and」連接的動詞短語。第一個動詞短語（「noted」）帶有一個名詞從句（「he had been mistakenly informed by his staff that the man was Sikh」），該從句本身包含被動結構和一個嵌入的that-從句。第二個動詞短語（「expressed respect for the Sikh community」）較為簡單。此結構展示了間接引語、被動語態和並列。
FIANZ noted that public officials bear a special responsibility following the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks to avoid language that normalizes or trivializes Islamophobia.
The main clause ('FIANZ noted') is followed by a that-clause serving as the object. Within this that-clause, the subject 'public officials' is modified by a present participial phrase ('following the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks') acting as an adverbial of time, and the object 'a special responsibility' is followed by an infinitive of purpose ('to avoid language'). The noun 'language' is further modified by a restrictive relative clause ('that normalizes or trivializes Islamophobia'). This sentence exhibits high lexical density and multiple levels of subordination.主句（「FIANZ noted」）後接一個作為賓語的that-從句。在該that-從句內，主語「public officials」由一個現在分詞短語（「following the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks」）修飾，該短語作為時間狀語；賓語「a special responsibility」後接一個目的不定式（「to avoid language」）。名詞「language」進一步由一個限制性關係從句（「that normalizes or trivializes Islamophobia」）修飾。此句子展現了高詞彙密度和多層次的從屬結構。