"New Zealand Muslims are fortunate to be able to observe their faith in peace and tranquility."
Mohammed Answar Ali, secretary of the New Zealand Muslim Association.
Although a minority, less than 1% of the total population, the Muslim population in New Zealand is young, energetic and growing. It is estimated that there are approximately 17,000 Muslims in New Zealand representing a wide range of nations including Fiji, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Indonesia and Malaysia. The largest proportion of New Zealand's Muslims originally come from Fiji and are ethnically Fijian Indian. There are also a growing number of local New Zealanders who are converting to Islam.
According to official census figures, the Muslim population has doubled almost every 5 years for the past 25 years.
Auckland, New Zealand
An estimated 63% of New Zealand's Muslims live in Auckland, but there are also large communities in Wellington, Hamilton, Christchurch and Dunedin. There are currently 9 mosques and Islamic centres, 5 of which are in Auckland. Auckland's largest mosque is in the suburb of Ranui. The first Islamic school, Al Madinah, is in the Auckland suburb of Mangere. According to a recent report, Al Madinah, which has 350 students, has the lowest school grades in New Zealand.
While most of New Zealand's Muslims are Sunni Muslim there is also a small community of almost 1500 Shia Muslims. Due to recent changes in immigration policies this number has doubled over the past 3 years. During the late 1980's there were as few as 12 Shia families, however due to new opportunities in New Zealand many professionals have immigrated. Several members of the Shia community are running weekend Arabic schools and they are hoping to build a Shia Islamic school in Auckland soon.
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Christian Witness Needed in New Zealand
Christian witness among New Zealand's Muslims is almost non-existent. Most Muslims in New Zealand will never meet a Christian or even be invited into a local New Zealand home. There is a small number of sincere Christians who pray regularly together and who are quietly reaching out to their Muslim neighbours, but the challenge to mobilise the Church in New Zealand to reach out to their local Muslim community is enormous.
Prayer Guide for New Zealand
* Pray for the migrants and refugees which are arriving in New Zealand almost every day.
* Pray that they would be placed within access to Christian support services.
* Pray for those Muslims who already have contacts with Christians, that their hearts would be opened to receive the Gospel.
* Pray for the children and teachers at Al Madinah School to have access to the Gospel.
* Pray that the Church in New Zealand would have an awareness of their responsibility and a desire to reach out to their local Muslim communities.
Background on New Zealand (World Factbook)
The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances.
Economy of New Zealand
New Zealand has seen remarkable economic growth over the past two decades. Most of this growth is due to a move away from an agrarian economy to technological and industrial sectors. Although not everyone has gained from this, per capita income rose for 10 years. It achieved 2.1% growth in 2010.
About New Zealand
Population: 4,290,347 (July 2011 est.) World Rank #125
Life Expectancy at Birth: 80.59 years. World Rank #23
Ethnic groups: European 69.8%, Maori 7.9%, Asian 5.7%, Pacific islander 4.4%, other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified 3.8%
Religions: Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26%
Languages: English (official), Maori (official), Sign Language (official)
Literacy: 99%
School Life Expectancy: 19 years
"NZ - Islam Nation" - Video
A Documentry piece on what it means to be a Muslim New Zealander.
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I agree with Robert for a number of reasons. I am a kiwi living in London. Every time I go back to Auckland I note with great regret a constant increase in the numbers of muslims. Muslims whereever they go are competely discinclined toward integration, they see themselves never as true nationals of the county where they have moved, even several generations on. The true alleigance always lies to other muslims not to society as a whole. They generally are closed minded and bring their own petty prejudices to the host country (religious bigorty, sexism, racism and homophobia). In short, there really is no benefit in allowing muslims to move to NZ when there are plenty of other better suited nationalities queing up to bring skills to NZ. Most of the latter groups are likely to totally integrate into mainstream NZ culture within a generation. But this could never be said of Muslims.
In additon muslims have frankly racist attitudes toward relationships. I went out with a muslim girl for a while and the relationship had to be kept a secret and could not progress. The reason being that I am a white non muslim (i.e that I was not 1. arab and 2.muslim...one would not be adequate) . Now, how I ask is that not racism? It a white person did allow their daughter to have a non white partner that would rightly be regarded as racist.
Anyway, not buying into the rubbish about David Duke as I think he is a nutter. No race or group is superior but there are differences which ought be taken into account in immigration policy.
Hey Trevor, I'm a muslim but I don't think you're wrong to say that many muslims are racists. But the key point i'd like to make is that it's the PEOPLE WHO PROFESS TO BE MUSLIMS who are racists. Islam on the other hand does not promote that. A clear evidence is the fundamentals behind the HAJ.
Anw, it's a pity that you couldn't progress with your relationship with a muslim girl but I have an open-minded and progressive muslim who couldn't continue his relationship with a catholic girl. So is the catholic parents the problem or is the catholic faith?
If I was a parent in any of the situation, I'd have to consider the future problems faced by the couple for having contrasting beliefs (e.g. how are the children going to brought up? How are you going to be buried when one passes away?)
. To me it's really not about the potential son or daughter in law of another faith.
"Tolerance and apathy are the surest ways to destroy a culture,' said Aristotle..or words to that effect. Ignorance is not bliss. It is dangerous. As dangerous as prey exposing its neck to a deceitful predator. Trevor, have you heard of Taqiyyah or 'Holy' deception. Quran 3;28/16:106/ 5.51? I expect not. Have you seen the little film Fitna or Fitma, compiled by the Dutch politician GEERT WILDERS Wilders? I expect not. Have you done any research on the life of Mohammed himself? I expect not. Do you know what a 'kuffar' or 'infidel' means and what Mohammed stated should happen to people classified as such? No, all converts to Islam are not a threat, but many born over generations inculcated into certain aspects of its hate-filled ideology may be. Yet, Western 'governments' insist on unfettered mmigration from Blacks from Africa and the West Indies (often Muslim) and Muslims from the Middle East..... despite deep resentment by Europeans who can see that Asia is for Asia, Africa is for Africans..Yet, White countries are for EVERBODY???? Perhaps, Trevor, you could look up THE FRANKFURT SCHOOL OF CULTURAL MARXISM AND POLITICAL CORRECTNESS to understand why. Muslims are being manipulated too. Oh, and have you heard of Wafa Sultan... a Syrian psychiatrist living in exile? See what she has to say about aspects of the religion of 'peace.' Also, you might find the...
Seek the truth and follow the darkness that was bought into the pacific by the invaders.
They seek to misguide you and divide you, as they did through out the time of history.
Look what they did to the balck people and what they are still doing to them and others.
No wonders Muslims keep themselve to themselve sometime, in this way they are protected from the darkness and they cannot not be misguide. An intellectual person will know when they read their comment on website, that it means nothing, it just confussion and causes hatred. They are contributing to making peace or making a society for all. They exclude others and especially those that know's the truth.
Read their their comment and do critical thinking and try to see it from the their point of view, the whole aim is to hype up hatred and divert you from the truth and justify their killing, racism and support their invasion and regime.
NZ I am coming to unite and free the land, take the darkness out and free the natives and the animals.
Remember in your heart have no hate, love for all and more love for the one undivided free nation "The Umma, Islam"!!!
Seek the truth and don't follow the darkness that was bought into the pacific by the invaders.
They seek to misguide you and divide you, as they did through out the time of history.
Look what they did to the balck people and what they are still doing to them and others.
No wonders Muslims keep themselve to themselve sometime, in this way they are protected from the darkness and they cannot not be misguide. An intellectual person will know when they read their comment on website, that it means nothing, it just confussion and causes hatred. They are NOT contributing to making peace or making a society for all. They exclude others and especially those that know's the truth. And they put hatred into you and I and brainwash all for their interest.
Read their their comment and do critical thinking and try to see it from the their point of view, the whole aim is to hype up hatred and divert you from the truth and justify their killing, racism and support their invasion and regime.
NZ I am coming to unite and free the land, take the darkness out and free the natives and the animals.
Remember in your heart have no hate, love for all and more love for the one undivided free nation "The Umma, Islam"!!!
MUSLIMS AROUND THE WORLD
They're not happy in Gaza. They're not happy in Egypt. They're not happy in
Libya. They're not happy in Morocco. They're not happy in Iran. They're not
happy in Iraq. They're not happy in Yemen. They're not happy in Afghanistan.
They're not happy in Pakistan. They're not happy in Syria. They're not happy
in Lebanon.
So where are they happy?
They're happy in England. They're happy in France. They're happy in Italy.
They're happy in Germany. They're happy in Sweden. They're happy in the USA.
They're happy in Norway. They're happy in India. They're happy in every country that is not Muslim.
And who do they blame? Not Islam. Not their leadership. Not themselves.
THEY BLAME THE COUNTRIES THEY ARE HAPPY IN.
Where ever you have muslims you have problems and New Zealand should learn from Europe, Australia and the USA and not repeat their mistake.
All muslim countries are backward and rely on foreign aids, since 1973 Arab countries with all their wealth could have devellopped to a level similar to western countries but have stayed backwards., China did it and Israel is the only democracy and devellopped country in the middle-east.
Keep New Zealand muslim free, keep New Zealand minaret free.
Good comment. That says it all!
I just wanna know one thing!
Why is it that the Western world has the highest rate in SUICIDES? If you guys are so happy then why in the world do you guys kill yourself? New Zealand which is such a blessed and beautiful country its the FOURTH on world's rank in Suicides...it makes me sad!
Muslim countries are unfortnately corrupted with bad and evil regimes and corrupt leaders. And we do blame our leadership, the extremists and the false beliefs as our downfall
Stick your head out of CNN and Fox News so that you can learn more about reality!
Don't watch CNN or Fox news... prefer RT. I believe the West should not interfere in the internal affairs of Muslim countries with illegal wars for gain such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. Leave the Muslim lands for the Muslims to control and do not try to foist Western values such as democracy upon them. At the same time we should not allow Muslim immigration to the West... their values and culture is incompatible with ours. We both have our own heartlands.... mutual respect for non interference... but no immigration invasions... either way!
I want to know why there are maximum number of suicide bombers in your country?.
Guyz dnt waste ur time about NZ , UK , US , SA , RSA, and pieces of land, this world belongs to the creator who put things where they are! you are not here with your plan! you just see you here now, you were not here 70 years ago! And will not be here 70 to come! So please just ask yourself why are you here?!?!?