Asif Munir, a leader and Minister of Religion for the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, speaks with Sifiya Shoaib of Gisborne in the city centre. Munir was part of a group of Hamilton Muslims on a North Island "Peace Tour". Photo / Anne-Marie de Bruin
Asif Munir, a leader and Minister of Religion for the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, speaks with Sifiya Shoaib of Gisborne in the city centre. Munir was part of a group of Hamilton Muslims on a North Island "Peace Tour". Photo / Anne-Marie de Bruin
A message of peace, accompanied by sweet chai tea, came to Gisborne’s city centre on Thursday when a group from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community visited as part of their North Island “Peace Tour”.
The five-strong group from Hamilton were led by Asif Munir – the imam (leader) and minister ofreligion of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
Munir and the group have been encouraging people to “meet a Muslim” and “ask anything” during their tour, which is taking them to all parts of the island – from Whangārei to Wellington, from Napier to New Plymouth – and finishes in Auckland on April 25.
The final stop will feature a mosque open day at Baitul Muqeet, in Manukau, which Munir said was New Zealand’s largest purpose-built mosque.
Their motivation was “awareness of world peace”, he said.
The group’s spiritual leader, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, said it was “a timely campaign”, considering the Middle East conflict affecting the entire world.
In 2013, Ahmad spoke at Parliament, warning of the dangers of nuclear weapons and conflict.
In this latest tour, they were keen to warn of the risks of a potential “World War III and the urgent need for peace”.
The group were sending “a positive message” and were open to answer questions about their mission and faith.
Munir said while in Taupō, the group received questions from locals about the role of women in the faith.
“Love for one’s nation” was part of the faith, but it was important to respect all people, he said.
Give peace a chance: members of New Zealand's Ahmadiyya Muslim Community group were keen to answer any questions from the public during the Gisborne stop-off of their North Island tour. They are Ansar Mahmood (from left), Mirza Zaki, Asif Munir, Badar Ahmed and Mirza Sarfraz. Photo / Anne-Marie de Bruin
The group do a regular outreach tour of the North Island and have also travelled to the South Island.
While in Gisborne, they set up a table with books about their faith and talked to interested passers-by, including Sifiya Shoaib, of Gisborne, who said her husband was living in Pakistan at the moment.
The group had books in te reo Māori and English they said they could send to her and other interested people.
Munir said some of the group originally came from Pakistan as refugees who had been subjected to violence, because their beliefs did not align with some in the country.
