VIRTUES Know one another
“O mankind! We created you all out of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another. Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him. Behold, God is all-knowing, all-aware” (Qu’ran 49:13).
According to the 2018 census, approximately 1.3 per cent of the population of New Zealand identify as Muslim, with most living in the Auckland region. On Friday 15 March 2019, 51 members of the small Islamic community in Christchurch died and many others were injured in a senseless attack as they gathered to pray at the Al Noor Mosque in Deans Avenue and at the Linwood Islamic Centre. In the aftermath of this unprecedented act of violence, described as one of New Zealand’s “darkest days”, communities across New Zealand came together to show solidarity, compassion, respect and unity.
To foster our interfaith connections, Chaplain Bosco Peters invited Muslim Association of Canterbury media spokesperson Jamaal Green and Farid Ahmed, both members of the Al Noor Mosque, to speak at the Centre for Ethics & Spirituality event – Understanding Islam – on Thursday 14 June. Farid’s wife, Husna, was killed in the attack and his extraordinary response, his decision to be positive and resilient, to choose forgiveness, love and peace, has resonated around the world. Jamaal began by talking about Christchurch’s Muslim community,
how its members come from all over the world and from very diverse backgrounds, before introducing Farid. The audience was soon captivated by Farid’s quiet confidence and self-deprecating humour. “Understanding Islam? It’s such a huge topic and I don’t want to put you to sleep. It’s also very difficult to summarise Islam in such a short time, it’s a life’s work ... “Islam is about achieving peace through surrendering to the will of God. Our greeting ‘As salaam alaikum’ literally means ‘Peace be
Christ’s College Canterbury
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