Ideologies of division that have been decidedly anti-Muslim, anti-refugee, and anti-immigration, have grown and taken root.

Politicians and more than a few prominent media personalities have used fear of the unknown other to garner support and boost their popularity and reach. Sowing seeds of fear which were always going to produce a harvest of hate.

And now this.

Our own people, those who came to join us in this whenua, those we promised could have a life here, have borne the consequences.

There are some who are saying that it is too early to talk about such things, that we "shouldn't politicise such a horrific tragedy" - yet sadly, the actions of these people, these acts of terror, are already political.

This attack was borne out of seeds planted in the soil of racism, discrimination and white supremacy. And if we are to prevent something like this happening again, we must look full in the face of the ugliness of Friday's events.

This was an act of terror.

A mass murder carried out by people driven by an ideology built on the foundations of white nationalism. Ignoring the problem won't make it go away. Our ignorance won't prevent more lives being lost.

It is time we acknowledged the racism and white supremacy, which is not only prevalent, but also foundational to our country.

For most Pākehā and European Kiwis that will be a hard pill to swallow.

But, as difficult as it may be to acknowledge, we can afford to do no less. We have allowed racism and fear to grow unchecked and unheeded. We have not resisted strongly enough the narratives of hate which feed on people's fears.

Too long we have fanned the flames of division and Islamophobia, and now we have all been burnt.