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P 170234Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3381
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHWL/USDAO WELLINGTON NZ PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 WELLINGTON 000811 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EAP/ANP AND S/CT 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2016 
TAGS: PINS SMIG PGOV PREL PTER NZ KISL
SUBJECT: KIWI MUSLIMS: HEADING TOWARD INTEGRATION OR 
INSULATION? 
 
Classified By: DCM David Keegan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
This cable was drafted by ConGen Auckland and approved by 
Embassy Wellington. 
 
¶1.    (SBU) SUMMARY:  New Zealand's small but active Muslim 
community points to a member of parliament, regular 
appearances on national television by community leaders, 
ready access to the Prime Minister and her cabinet, and joint 
statements with Jewish organizations as hallmarks of movement 
into the political mainstream.   But a recent influx of Arab 
and African immigrants is creating tensions within New 
Zealand's traditionally South Asian Muslim population.  This 
changing ethnic makeup is causing some disagreement over 
members' identity and assimilation, as well as concerns about 
preventing terrorist groups and Wahhabi ideology from gaining 
a toehold here.  The community also faces other challenges ) 
from hate crimes to job discrimination ) as it deals with 
its continued growth.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Why they choose New Zealand 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2.    (SBU) There are roughly 40,000 Muslims in New Zealand, 
or 1% of the country's population, according to the 
community's own figures.  The 2001 GNZ census put the number 
at 23,631, a 74% increase from 1996.  While the figures from 
the 2006 census are not yet published, the trend is clearly 
towards fast growth.  Community leaders disagree as to 
whether this trend will lead to fuller integration into the 
wider New Zealand community or to the formation of ethnic 
boroughs. 
 
¶3.    (C) In a meeting with Ambassador McCormick, Javed Khan, 
President of the Federation of Islamic Associations in New 
Zealand (FIANZ) said Muslims are comfortable practicing their 
faith and traditions within the country's relatively liberal 
and secular society.  FIANZ, established in 1979 as an 
umbrella organization for various New Zealand Muslim groups, 
coordinates activities of its members, establishes standards 
of Islamic practice (it plays a leading role in certifying 
the country's large Halal meat industry), and is the most 
prominent Muslim organization reaching out to New Zealand's 
broader society. However, not all Muslims feel represented by 
FIANZ, and some criticize it for not doing enough to inform 
broader society on Islam and Muslims. 
 
Government support 
------------------ 
 
¶4.    (C) GNZ interaction with the Muslim community appears 
strong in many ways.  Khan told the Ambassador he has "very 
good contact" with the government, and that he has easy 
access to ministers.  According to Khan, Prime Minister Helen 
Clark has asked him for Islamic-related outreach ideas. In 
November 2005, FIANZ hosted an Eid celebration at Parliament 
House, which featured speeches by Deputy Prime Minister 
Michael Cullen, opposition leader Don Brash, and Javed Khan. 
Ambassador Swindells also attended. 
 
¶5.    (SBU) In August 2006, FIANZ hosted an interfaith dinner 
sponsored by the New Zealand Government's Office of Ethnic 
Affairs.  Speakers included Khan, a prominent Anglican 
pastor, recent Labour parliamentary candidate Anjum Rahman 
(who heads the Islamic Women's Council), a private Jewish 
citizen, a local imam, and two young Muslim students. Many of 
the Muslim guests told ConOff that the support from the 
government represented by the dinner is an important reason 
they are happy in New Zealand.  One guest said having a 
Muslim MP, Labour's Ashraf Choudhry, is testament to New 
Zealand's open and welcoming society. 
 
¶6.    (U) Several speakers highlighted the relatively close 
relationship between the different faith communities, 
especially between Muslim and Jewish groups.  After six 
mosques were vandalized in July 2005 following the London 
terrorist bombings, the New Zealand Jewish Council condemned 
the acts as "shameful" and offered its sympathies to the 
Muslim community.  When both mosques and synagogues were 
attacked in late July of this year during the 
Israeli-Lebanese conflict, the Jewish Council and FIANZ 
issued a joint statement condemning the acts that they 
attributed to a small group of "vandals and bigots," and 
 
WELLINGTON 00000811  002 OF 002 
 
 
emphasizing that both communities have "no desire to bring 
foreign hatred to New Zealand's shores." 
 
¶7.    (SBU) Although the function was well attended and a 
symbol of integration efforts, Muslim attendees were a fairly 
homogenous group of white collar South Asian/Fijian Muslims, 
with little or no representation from adherents of African or 
Middle Eastern background. 
 
Growing pains 
------------- 
 
¶8.    (C) Early Muslim immigrants were able to integrate into 
broader society without much complication.  The majority 
hailed from the Indian subcontinent and spoke English. 
However, arrivals in the past 15 years, mainly from Africa 
and the Middle East, have brought the Muslim community to a 
crossroads.  FIANZ now estimates that Muslims of Arab descent 
are roughly 10% and African immigrants constitute over 20% of 
the community.  A larger number of the Indian subcontinent 
group is now composed of recent arrivals.  The newer arrivals 
have limited or no English language skills, and their 
academic qualifications, if they have them, are not 
recognized in New Zealand.  In an extensive research paper 
titled "New Zealand Muslims," Dr. William Shepard, formerly 
of the University of Canterbury, writes that the median 
income for the community was only slightly below the national 
average in the 1986 and 1991 censuses, but the 1996 census 
had already shown a considerable drop in Muslim wages. 
Ironically, the newest generations of Kiwi Muslims who grew 
up or were born here and have the best chance to earn higher 
incomes are leaving New Zealand for better job opportunities 
overseas. 
 
¶9.    (SBU) In the NZ Herald, Abdullah Drury, a convert to 
Islam and former FIANZ official, said the recent migrants 
have, through their sheer numbers, taken over the 
administration of mosques by voting in leaders from amongst 
their own "the mosque (as) the last vestige of their 
homelands and they want it to remain that way, even if that 
leads to tension or conflict with other ethnic or sectarian 
groups within the New Zealand Muslim community."  In 
contrast, Javed Khan told ConOff that the community is strong 
enough to absorb the new arrivals and will, through the 
democratically setup mosque administrations, work through the 
problems peacefully. 
 
Community policing of extremists 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶10.   (C) Khan asserted that while there are no "extremist" 
activities in the community, many Muslims in New Zealand 
retain family or sentimental ties and sympathies to the 
Middle East and the historic Muslim world.   Not being immune 
to events in those regions, Khan said FIANZ is taking 
preventative measures to ensure that sympathies do not mutate 
into violence.  According to Khan, FIANZ has asked people 
inside and outside the Muslim community to report suspected 
extremist activities to FIANZ who would then coordinate 
action with the government. 
 
¶11.   (C) However, other community leaders dispute Khan's 
assertion that there is no extremist activity, citing the 
presence of Saudi-funded organizations on school campuses and 
mosque administrations.  And reports of Wahhabi-inspired 
propaganda, together with post-9/11 anti-Muslim sentiments 
and inflammatory remarks by some Kiwi politicians have made 
life more difficult for Muslims than Khan has portrayed. 
 
¶12.   (C) Septel will report further on divisions in the Kiwi 
Muslim community, alleged Wahhabi activities, and accusations 
of anti-Muslim discrimination. 
McCormick