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Muslim History in New Zealand
The
first Muslims living in New Zealand were 15 Chinese
“Mahometans” living in the goldmining settlement of
Dunstan, Otago, in April 1874 according to the
government census. In the 1890s and 1900s several
Punjabi and Gujarati Indian men arrived here, and
from the 1930 and 1940s these men began to bring
out their wives and families.
In
1950 the first Muslim organisation was set up when
the “New Zealand Muslim Association” was
established in Auckland. There were approximately
200 Muslims in all New Zealand at the time. In 1959
the Association acquired a property in Ponsonby and
made it the first Islamic Centre. In 1960 the first
Imam arrived here -- Maulana Ahmed Said Musa Patel
(1937-2009) from Gujarat.
This was followed by the creation of the
Wellington-based “International Muslim Association
of New Zealand” in 1962 and the “Muslim Association
of Canterbury” in 1977. Between the 1950s, 1960s
and 1970s there was an influx of east European
Muslim refugees, Fiji Indian migrants and Muslim
students from across Asia.
By 1979 there were around 2000 Muslims in all New
Zealand and representatives of the three main
Muslim Associations met to create the “Federation
of Islamic Associations of New Zealand” in April
and appointed Kosova-born Mazhar Krasniqi as the
inaugural president. He was soon followed by the
much respected (late) Hajji Abdul Rahim Rasheed,
originally from Fiji. In 1982 Sheikh Khalid Kamal
Abdul Hafiz (1938-1999) from central India arrived
to serve as Imam in Wellington. He later became the
senior
spiritual advisor to the Islamic Federation. Over
1984 to 1985 Dr Hajji Ashraf Chaudhary served as
president of the Federation before entered
Parliament in 2002.
From the 1980s to the present period there has been
a steady increase in the number of Muslim migrants,
refugees and students from Asia, the Middle East
and Africa. There was also a corresponding increase
in the size and number of Muslim organisations
established, especially in Auckland. The Islamic
Education and Dawah Trust was set up in 1990 and
currently operates the Al Madinah School and Al
Zayad Girls College in Mangere,
Auckland.
According to the 2006 census there were over 36,000
Muslims resident in New Zealand, the majority of
who live in Auckland. The Federation of Islamic
Associations has become very involved in the Halal
certification of export meat and tries to represent
New Zealand Muslims at a national and international
level.
By: Abdullah Drury, Author of Islam In New Zealand
- The First Mosque
abdullah@xtra.co.nz
History also available at:
www.fianz.co.nz,
http://media.live.harnesslink.com/files/f1116457165.pdf
www.stats.govt.nz
www.ahmeds.orcon.net.nz
Books:
Islam in New
Zealand - The First Mosque By Abdullah Drury
Available for $12 each, plus postage/handling within
NZ. Contact:
abdullah@xtra.co.nz
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