Police to provide security at Islamic Centre in Whangārei during Ramadan

Armed police will guard the Islamic Centre in Whangārei when Muslims congregate for prayers during Ramadan. Photo / John Stone

Police are providing regular security at the Islamic Centre in Whangārei when worshippers gather for prayers during this holy month of Ramadan.

Fasting began on Tuesday after the moon was sighted on Monday evening and Ramadan will continue for the next four weeks.

Northland Police acting area commander for Whangārei and Kaipara, Acting Inspector Rob Huys, said armed officers would be outside the Islamic Centre on Porowini Ave during the evening prayers as well as at the Friday congregation during lunch hour.

Police presence, he said, would continue throughout Ramadan and re-assessed after the holy month.

New Zealand's terror threat level was downgraded to "medium" on April 17, after being lifted to high for the first time in the country's history since the March 15 Christchurch attacks which left 50 dead and 50 others wounded.

Medium is defined as "a terrorist attack is assessed as feasible and could well occur", but it means police need not routinely carry firearms.

"We're adjusting our times to suit specific requirements of the local Muslim community and we'll obviously respond to any urgent calls for service," Huys said.

"At this stage, we haven't been made aware of any suspicious behaviour in and around the local mosque but we'll continue to work closely with the local Muslim community to
determine what their current needs are and constantly adjust our plans based on the feedback received."

Huys said one of the positives in Northland as was seen throughout the country after the Christchurch shootings was the considerable public support towards the Muslim community.

Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan and refrain from all food, drink, tobacco use and sexual contact. Those excused from fasting include the elderly, children, the ill, travellers, pregnant women, nursing mothers and those menstruating.

Muslims are also expected to avoid gossiping, lying, envy, greed and other bad character traits during the month-long fast.

Muslims in New Zealand fast for about 12 hours during shorter winter days compared to more than 19 hours in Europe or about 15 hours in the Middle East.

There are about 60 mosques and Islamic Centres in New Zealand that cater for about 50,000 Muslims.

Ramadan is the Arabic word for the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, sometimes rendered as Ramazan in other languages.

As the Islamic calendar is lunar (organised by the cycles of the moon) and the Gregorian calendar used by most Western countries is solar, Ramadan's timing in the Gregorian year shifts by roughly 11 days each year.

This year, Ramadan falls across the Gregorian months from early May to early June. Last year, it fell 11 days later – from mid-May to mid-June.