Three Muslim women in West Auckland have reportedly been the target of violent racial attacks over the past 10 days, and there is a concern that many more victims are not contacting authorities.
On Saturday, the women were shot at while waiting at a bus stop.
The bullets fired from a car shattered the glass they were sitting beside - and the women believe the men only stopped firing because they ran out of bullets.
The women are now too scared to be identified, fearing a revenge attack.
But they are not alone. Women from North African countries like Sudan are also regularly subjected to abuse.
At the Ttirangi markets last weekend someone from a passing car hauled a rock the size of a fist at a teenager's face.
The common link appears to be the attackers - European teenage boys in a white car.
However, the women did not contact police until much later because they did not understand how the 111 system works, and did not know if police would consider the attacks to be serious.
Auckland police have now appointed a North African liasion officer to work closer with the Muslim community.
And while the women say while they are frightened, they still want to be in New Zealand.
"They are good people. The country's very safe and good. I like it too much," says one woman.
Their tolerance is something police can only hope will rub off on those carrying out the attacks.
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