Ahmadiyya Muslim Community invites fellow Kiwis to Mosque Open Day
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community New Zealand is inviting fellow Kiwis to come and visit its central mosque at 20 Dalgety
Drive in Wiri Manukau, on Saturday the 12th of August 2017. This ‘open to public’ event will run from 10 am till 4 pm,
with walk in and invited guests getting a chance to visit the premises and see the mosque. The day provides a unique
opportunity for the visitors to get first hand experience of the architectural features of a mosque, and learn about the
fundamentals of Islamic faith and practices.
‘The mosque plays a very central role in the lives of the Muslim Community. Aside from providing a place of worship and
regular prayers, it provides a meeting point where our community comes together for social and educational activities’
says Mr Bashir Khan, the National President of AMJNZ. ‘Lately the image of a mosque has been maligned by the actions and
activities of some fanatic Muslims outside of New Zealand. These actions are picked up by the media and can portray a
very negatively biased image of this house of worship. The Ahmadi Muslims are keen to dispel this image, and we
regularly open the doors to our mosque for all to come and see what a true Islamic concept of mosque looks like in
practice.’
The Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, while reminding the Muslims of the
importance of the Mosque also allayed the concerns of the community at large by saying, ‘…based on the Islam that I know
and follow, let me reassure you that this Mosque will prove itself to be a fountain of peace, from which only
everlasting springs of love and compassion will gush forth.’ He further said, ‘a basic purpose of a Mosque is to serve
as a place for Muslims to offer their prayers and in Arabic the word for prayer is ‘As-Salat’ which in essence means
‘compassion, love and mercy’. Consequently, a Muslim who offers his prayers with sincerity is a person who is kind,
caring and merciful and he or she is a person who strives to stay away from immorality, illegal activity and all forms
of evil.’
The community’s Auckland mosque, named Baitul Muqeet, is the largest purpose built mosque in New Zealand. The open day
will feature guided tours of the mosque, short seminars and presentations to answer any queries, as well as an
exhibition and free literature for visitors. Refreshments will be available through out the day.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a dynamic, fast-growing international revival movement within Islam. Founded in 1889
by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) in Punjab, India, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community spans in 210 countries with
membership exceeding tens of millions. Its motto of ‘Love for all and hatred for none’ is evidenced through the peaceful
actions of its millions of followers. The New Zealand branch of this community was established in 1987. It is a
registered charitable organisation and endeavors to be an active and integrated community within New Zealand society.
ENDS