Come All Ye Faithful

As churches around the country prepare to observe Christmas, Fleur Mealing celebrates the myriad ways in which Kiwis express their faith - and showcases their houses of worship.

Firoz Patel and his family go to the beach on Christmas Day. With the sun shining down in the Southern Hemisphere it is hard to think of spending the day any other way. However, there is no giving of gifts or special dinner for Firoz and the New Zealand Muslim community he belongs to; for them, it is not their day to celebrate.

“For us it is like a family holiday, we get together as a family unit. We respect Christmas; Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. It is an annual holiday of the country, so we abide by it,” he explains. “The Quran (Muslims’ holy book) respects both Jesus and Mary by sharing the stories of Jesus’ miraculous birth. Muslims believe that Jesus’ mother Mary is one of the best women of the universe.”

Firoz is a senior member of the Ponsonby (Al-Masjid Al Jamie) Mosque in Auckland, the first mosque of New Zealand, which is also the furthest point from Mecca. It was built in the 1970s when property in the area was affordable; many Muslims who had immigrated to New Zealand around that time set up home in Ponsonby. Despite much of the Muslim community since moving to Mt Roskill and South Auckland, Firoz says the Ponsonby congregation is still large, with about 450-500 attending Friday prayers.

It is also the closest mosque to Auckland’s city centre and they find that many tourists will visit, whether they are Muslim or not.