Kiwi Muslim Directory, the only Muslim information directory and portal of New Zealand has released its ninth edition earlier this month and is being made available to every Islamic Centre in the country.
The directory is nationally recognised and is acknowledged by the Federation of Islamic Associations of NZ (FIANZ), the apex body of the Muslim community in New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand as a useful resource for the community.
Mr Naveed Ahmed, the publisher of KMD when came to New Zealand a decade ago faced a lot of trouble finding information about Islamic Centres, Halal Food, groceries and other related information for the Muslim community in the country.
This sparked the idea to create a directory where local Muslims and even visiting Muslim tourists can find all the necessary information needed during their stay in the country.
Publisher of Kiwi Muslim Directory Naveed Ahmed with the latest edition of KMD at Masjid-e-Umar in Mt. Roskill
The 1st edition of the book was released in 2009 and made available to the community via all mosques and community centres.
“The fact that such information was not widely available sparked the idea to establish the Kiwi Muslim Directory, a book that will house relevant information for local Muslims, migrants and tourists,” publisher of Kiwi Muslim Directory, Naveed Ahmed told The Indian Weekender.
“The Kiwi Muslim Directory aims to stimulate interaction within the community, which in turn will help the businesses to grow, resulting in the overall growth of the economy of our country,” Mr Ahmed added.
There are approximately 50,000 Muslims (apart from visitors, work-permit holders, and students) in New Zealand, most of them living in Auckland. The Kiwi Muslim Directory is aimed to be a unique and helpful tool, acting as the gateway to the New Zealand Muslim community.
Today we are happy to say most of the Muslims in NZ are using Kiwi Muslim Directory as their trusted source of information.
Besides the list of businesses and a halal food guide, the directory also lists Muslim organizations, Muslim schools, Islamic centres, support groups, NGO’s and including other useful information such as Islamic & Cultural related articles, prayer times, funeral guide, events & activities.
KMD has also collaborated with Tourism New Zealand to benefit even the Muslim travellers in the country to find information about Halal food stores and Islamic centres etc. in the book.
The booklet has an online edition of the Halal Guide for the travellers which can also be found on Tourism New Zealand website https://www.newzealand.com/au/feature/halal-guide-for-new-zealand.
“The directory is designed to be beneficial for the local Muslim community as well as tourists in New Zealand, which is why we have collaborated with Tourism NZ for the production of their Tourism New Zealand Halal Guide. Due to the diverse community, even non-muslims use the copy to get information for their Muslim friends,” Mr Ahmed said.
The directories can be picked up from most Islamic Centers throughout the country and will also be available at Halal Meat shops later this year. The directories are also available at the Auckland Regional Migrant Resource Center and the CAB Language Link.
The apex body of the Muslim community in NZ, FIANZ has also rendered their support by providing suggestions, advice and spreading the word regarding the directory. FIANZ provides the publishers with the updated FIANZ certified listings which are included in the Halal Food Guide help the community with authentic information to the Muslim community in New Zealand.
Local scholars and some community members have also contributed several articles about Islam, its history and information about the community in the directory.
“We receive feedback from many members of the community, regarding what they think of the directory and what they would like to see in future editions. The fact that we have just published our 9th edition shows that the directory is extremely useful and is supported by the local community,” Mr Ahmed said.
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