I found a really interesting short documentary on Youtube about what life is like for Muslim New Zealanders. A little further Google rummaging and I unearthed an article on the subject in 30days.net. It aroused my curiosity as what life is like for this country’s seemingly young, vibrant Muslim minority.
Faith, Peace & Tranquility
Today there are around 17,000 members of our faith in New Zealand although we’re a minority representing less than 1% of the country’s predominantly Anglican Christian population; the local Islamic community represents a spectrum of nations. These include: Fiji, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Indonesia and Malaysia.
The greater part of New Zealand’s Muslims originate from Fiji and are ethnically Fijian Indian, but a growing number of local New Zealanders are also converting to Islam. Official census figures reveal that the Muslim population has doubled almost every 5 years for the past 25 years.
Why?
According to Mohammed Answar Ali, secretary of the New Zealand Muslim Association, the country is an appealing place for young Muslims.
“New Zealand Muslims are fortunate to be able to observe their faith in peace and tranquility.” He told 30days.net
Sounds good to me!
Striking a Balance
The majority of New Zealand’s Muslims are Sunni, but the Shi’a community has also blossomed in recent years and now consists of 1500 families throughout the country.
Recent changes in New Zealand’s immigration policy have doubled the number of Shi’a. In fact, twenty years ago there were only 12 Shi’a families. New opportunities on the isle that brought us Lord of the Rings have encouraged the immigration of Muslim professionals.
In Auckland, members of the New Zealand Shi’a Muslim community are running weekend Arabic schools and hope to build a Shi’a Islamic school in the near future.
