Strangers struggling to feel at home in an alien land

To most New Zealanders, refugees are still an alien people in their neighbourhoods.

In the past the country accommodated immigrants with ease because of cultural and religious similarities.

But integration is proving more difficult with the latest wave of mostly Muslim refugees, and Muslim leaders say terrorism is making the problem worse.

Javed Khan, president of the Federation of Islamic Associations in New Zealand, lays some of the blame on the Government.

Muslims are trying hard to fit in but are confronted with prejudices, he said.

The media portrayal of the September 11 attacks on New York and the London blasts in July meant all Muslims were being painted as terrorists and there was a view that Islam promoted terrorism.

"According to the media, if you believe in Islam, then you are a terrorist. It becomes synonymous, doesn't it?" Mr Khan said.

These prejudices put an unfair onus on immigrant Muslims to prove they were decent and civic-minded people.

Mr Khan said the Government had to accept some responsibility for the community's failures.

"The Government should help the community along the way. They are left to fend for themselves, which is very unfair."

He said rejection in various forms had tended to alienate many new immigrants.

"There is frustration among the Muslims, and doctors and engineers have been driving taxis. They lose their self-esteem."

About 23,415 Muslims were living in New Zealand in 2001, according to the census that year. Today, their population has almost doubled to about 40,000 to 45,000.

The Muslim community here is complex, involving from 35 to 40 nationalities and cultures from Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Fiji.

To complicate matters further they come from many nationalities and sects - Sunni, Shi'ite, Ismaili, Sufi, Wahhabi and others.

With such diversity, Mr Khan said, it was proving hard to reach even a semblance of unity and speak out with one voice.

"Although all are Muslims there are differences between the Somalis and Iraqis, for example.

"They tend to stick with their own nationalities and there is a language barrier.

"At times we have to agree to disagree on certain matters and move on."

Islamic affairs expert Dr Tim Behrend, a senior lecturer at Auckland University's School of Asian Languages, said Muslims in New Zealand tended to present a fairly unified face and kept their internal issues private to protect themselves.

"You certainly see internal divisions within the Muslim community played out in semi-public places like universities for control of spaces for prayer."

Looking to the future, Dr Behrend said there would need to be some practical and social challenges, like accommodating the needs of Muslim students.

Mr Khan said young people needed more help. Immigrant parents tended to neglect their youth, although this was out of necessity.

"Parents get too involved in their work and when they are not paid well, they work long hours."

He said Muslim leaders held regular inter-faith dialogues in major centres, mostly with Jews and Christians on a monthly basis.

"But we have to come down to grassroots level. Most talks are now with leaders of organisations. Unless we get to grassroots level, people will not get involved and that's where the problems start.

"Problems do not filter from top to bottom but from bottom up."

- NZPA