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Dunedin, my home city of 110,000 is at the moment home to about 300 Muslims. A now declining proportion of the Muslims in Dunedin are in fact overseas students from Malaysia. It was only a few years ago that they made up the single biggest group of Muslims in this city, due to the fact that the Malaysian government sent many Medical students to New Zealand for their study, as part of an agreement with the government here.

With the recent Asian economic crisis, the numbers dwindled, and today there are no new Medical students from Malaysia at the Otago Medical School. The last batch to enter the school first enrolled (with myself) in 1997 . Education students were also sent here for study, but this scheme was also recently ceased with no new students arriving for the 2000 academic year.

For myself, having lived in this city for nearly 20 years, it will be sad to see the Dunedin Muslim community lose the rich and vibrant culture that the Malaysian students brought with them to this city. They always took an active role in organising and running Islamic events held in the city.

But to the future we must look, and over the course of several years, the number of Arab families in this city has increased from a handful, to now become the dominant resident population of Muslims here.

Dunedin has a wonderful multicultural mix of Muslims, from all corners of the globe. It has taught us all that we must be tolerant of other races - after all, we are all Muslims, we just have different skin colours. Although being small in number has disadvantages, I find the small Muslim community here to be a blessing from Allah, as it is possible to personally know almost all the Muslims here. When we have celebrations for Eid, it is a time when we can all gather at one location, rather than be split up into different regional groups.

However there are times here, when one does long for the feeling of Islam beyond what is available here. There is no masjid here yet, and the environment is often far from Islamic.

After my first year at Otago University, I took the opportunity to go overseas to Malaysia, to visit the home of so many of the brothers and sisters I had befriended in Dunedin. I was very moved by the experience I had in Malaysia, by the friendliness of the people, the Islamic spirit I felt, the calls of Athan ringing loud and clear in my ears, the sight of minarets piercing the cityscapes. I knew from the start that this was a place I wanted to live in, work in, and most important, raise my family in. (You can read an account of my journey to Malaysia). 

What this country lacks is that Islamic fervour I have seen in both Malaysia and Singapore. A fervour which can only be observed in countries where the Muslim population is large. Do not get me wrong here, I do not mean to say that the brothers and sisters here are not active in their Islamic activities - surely only Allah knows how to reward them for their deeds. But let me just say that for a young man (or woman) growing up in this environment, things can be very difficult.

Some will argue that the rewards for resisting temptation in a western country like New Zealand are great from Allah. And of this I am in no doubt. But not everyone is strong enough to earn these rewards, myself included.

I respect the huge efforts of the brothers and sisters here in building a foundation for Islam in this city. There is currently a drive to boost the funds for building the masjid here in Dunedin, which is past it's halfway stage. However for myself, I would still prefer to live in an environment where my children will not be as exposed to the influences of the west.

If you are thinking about visiting New Zealand, do not be put off by anything I have said above. You must come and see this country. Indeed it is one of the most beautiful creations of Allah, and you would not be disappointed. However in terms of an Islamic feeling or spirit, you will be hard pressed to find it.

Please feel free to contact me if you are planning a trip here. I will do all I can to find out information such as prayer times and places of worship for you. Also, if you would like to find out more about the masjid and Islamic centre project, then please email me at rpcxbvqchkhe@spammotel.com.