Muslims reach out online
Muslims are reaching out for friendship and understanding between cultures through a neighbourhood initiative.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim community is using the website Neighbourly in an effort to meet people and talk about any questions that come to hand.
Takanini resident Imran Ahmad is a volunteer for the Meet a Muslim Neighbour project which has been running for one month in South Auckland.
He has already met 12 people who have responded to the online invitation.
The meetings, organised by Ahmadiyya’s around the country, aim to ‘‘remove misconceptions’’ and discuss ‘‘rising Islamophobia’’, he says.
‘‘With the increasing antiMuslim sentiments in the world it is more important than ever to reach out to people of different faiths and backgrounds and invite them to get to know us for who we are, and vice versa,’’ he says.
Ahmad, who moved to New Zealand five years ago from Pakistan, encourages people to ask all kinds of questions.
‘‘People have questions in their mind but they don’t ask for fear of being offensive … I tell people ‘you can ask me anything, don’t be fearful’.’’
Ahmadiyya New Zealand central missionary Shafiq ur Rehman says it’s important the ‘‘true teachings of Islam’’ are shared.
‘‘The majority of Muslims are peace loving … we are loyal to this land … we owe gratitude to this country and we will serve this country. That is the true Islam spirit.
‘‘Anti-Muslim sentiments around the world can influence people in New Zealand too, so this clarifies what our position is.’’
Papakura residents Anne Martin and David Buist are among those taking up the offer to learn more about the Muslim faith after seeing the invitation.
‘‘With what’s happening with Trump and anti-Muslim sentiments it really resonated with me.
‘‘Knowledge is power and the more knowledge you have about these things the more understanding you have,’’ Martin says.
Buist, who is Catholic, says he feels solidarity between people of different faiths.
‘‘I don’t believe there’s a difference between us. The basic philosophies are the same— love our neighbour.’’
Go to neighbourly.co.nz and search ‘Meet a Muslim Neighbour’.