The Islam Awareness Week 2018 was launched on Monday, September 17 at the Wellington Islamic Centre in the presence of FIANZ’s newly appointed president Dr Mustafa Farouk, community leaders, dignitaries and, representatives from parliament and other ethnic and interfaith communities.
FIANZ or Federation of Islamic Association of New Zealand is an apex body of the Muslims in New Zealand that looks after the issues and, concerns of the Muslims in the country.
“The mission of Islam Awareness Week (IAW) is to increase the awareness in New Zealand of Islam and Muslim New Zealanders and this has been observed for many years at Islamic Centres and masjids around the country and these activities are locally organised by the various centres and student bodies.
The week was originally envisaged to enable Muslims living as minorities in mainly western countries to share with the broader society in their host, or adopted countries, their most important asset, Islam,” a spokesperson from FIANZ said.
Present at the event were Michael Wood, Under-Secretary for Ethnic Communities representing Minister for Ethnic Communities as the Guest of Honour for the launch event, National List MP Kanwaljit Bakshi, diplomats, officers from the Maori, Pacific and, Ethnic Division of the New Zealand Police, representatives from the Human Rights Commission, Interfaith Council and, community leaders.
The theme for this year’s seven-day Islam Awareness Week was ‘Halal- more than just food’, that focuses on different aspects of using the term Halal in leading ones’ life and not just in its limited notion of ‘just food’.
“Although the word Halal, meaning lawful in the eyes of God (whom Muslims call Allah), is usually associated with food, but its meaning also embraces the way Muslims do business, earn a living, treat the environment, coexist with their fellow citizens and much more,” the spokesperson said.
“The Islamic concept of Halal is embedded in many of the values that New Zealand as a country espouses, such as eating wholesome and nutritious foods and not eating or feeding others what is harmful, living on what is legally earned, giving measure for measure in business dealings, fair wages for fair services, transparency, not wasting resources nor damaging the environment, and, above all, fostering peace and harmonious coexistence,” FIANZ president Dr Farouk said at the event.
FIANZ every year on the occasion of IAW launch honours an individual with the Harmony Award recognising his/her contributions to improving understanding and relationships between Muslims and the broader community in New Zealand.
This year, the IAW 2018 Harmony Award was presented to Mr William Moore, a resident of Miramar in Wellington. He was honoured for his long association with and contributions to the Muslim community in Wellington.