Muslim community at home in Wanganui

The last month of prayer and fasting by Wanganui's 25 Muslim families has benefited from the presence of two Egyptian scholars who left the city yesterday.
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan has just ended, Wanganui Islamic Association president Haji Kunja Ahmad said.
Scholar Mahmoud Mohamed Mohamed Helal and priest Mohamed Ahmed Abdelaziz Mabrouk flew out of Wanganui yesterday. Mr Ahmad had invited them to the city.
During the Past 30 days they would have been seen walking up and down Talbot St while reading the Muslim holy book, The Koran.
During Ramadan all adults of sound mind and able body have to fast and abstain from sex from sunrise to sunset.
They're also not to shout, use abusive language or quarrel. Those who are too old, unfit or on journeys have to feed a poor man for each day of the 30 that they don't fast.
The purpose of Ramadan was to help followers avoid "absolute materialism".
The Chronicle was invited to Wanganui's mosque, Masjid-E-Bilal, on Tuesday night. After sunset the scholars ate a simple meal of melons, dates, nuts and fried zucchini slices.
Later that evening they were to recite a whole chapter of The Koran, in Arabic, to assembled followers.
The mosque is at 68 Talbot St.
Muslim scholars from Cairo, Mahmoud Mohamed Mohamed Helal and Mohamed Ahmed Abdelaziz Mabrouk, led prayers in Wanganui's Islamic mosque during the month of Ramadan.
Haji Kunja Ahmad, the president of the city's Islamic Association, said the mosque used to be his house and had been prayed in for nine years and slowly converted into a mosque since 2003.
An extension now sports a small dome.
Inside, men and women prayed in the same large room, separated from sight of each other by a curtain.
The mosque was always open.
The Muslim League of New Zealand, led by Mushtaq Sheikh, had bought the two units next door, where Mr Ahmad now lived.
Wanganui's Muslim community consisted of people from Fiji, India, Pakistan, Palestine, Egypt, Indonesia and Malaysia. They worked as doctors, halal slaughterers and in Moshims Discount House.
Asked whether they favoured acts of terrorism, Mr Ahmad said they were totally against them.
Islam was for everyone. Muslims honoured Jesus, he said, but as a prophet rather than the son of God.
"We all are one generation from Adam and Eve."
Wanganui people had treated the Muslims well, and the Islamic community was growing.
"People are appreciating what's happening here, neighbours too.
"If I'm not here, they're looking after the place.
"If anything happens to me they will be the first to be on my doorstep.
"My neighbours are my first family," Mr Ahmad said.
PICTURED: Muslim scholars from Cairo, Mahmoud Mohamed Mohamed Helal (left) and Mohamed Ahmed Abdelaziz Mabrouk, led prayers in Wanganui's Islamic mosque during the month of Ramadan. With them (at right) is Haji Kunja Ahmad, the president of the city's Islamic Association.