Now he's the owner of two Jewish food shops, including this one that's no more than 6 feet by 14 feet with a lime-green awning adorned with a Star of David. Read more

Former Methodist leader Keith Rowe says church groups haven't gone far enough in accepting Islam.

Overall, Rowe says, the Christian response was a hospitable one.

"Many embraced their Muslim neighbours in a way they hadn't before," he says.

"I think a lot of people in the church and the wider community crossed over the line from suspicion to embrace, and that was a pretty big step for them - given the bad press the Islamic faith in general gets."

But he says the response has not gone far enough.

"It fell short of ... celebrating and welcoming the Muslim presence in New Zealand.

"It didn't acknowledge any Christian complicity in the perpetuation of Islamaphobic attitudes across the centuries.

"And it didn't look forward to working together with the Muslim community for the common good."

Rowe believes Christian churches of all types need to get over their view that they alone have access to truth.

Some of the more fundamentalist branches of Christianity have reacted angrily to the outpouring of support for Islam after the Christchurch mosque attack.

They are concerned that acceptance is the first step on the way to the "deletion" of the Christian God, the rise of Islamic radicals and eventually the implementation of Sharia law in New Zealand.

Rowe's story demonstrates how fear and suspicion can be overcome by personal contact.

In Sydney he became involved in Christian-Muslim relations while working at a parish next to Al Faisal College in Auburn.

"I developed a deep friendship with the director there."

Over the next few years, he developed Christian theology and practice for inter-faith engagement.

He wrote a book called Living With the Neighbour Who is Different, organised a gathering of imams and church ministers from across Sydney and visited Saudi Arabia with a Muslim group.

Source

stuff.co.nz

stuff.co.nz

He says the Samoan government was represented at the recent G20 interfaith summit in Fiji.

Rasheed said he was going to help organise a dialogue with churches in Samoa and hoped to bring them together to educate them about his faith.

"People want to see real people coming together at the community level."

"Religion as a whole is facing a lot of criticism for being too controlling," Rasheed said.

"And we need to respond by actually bringing real people together on real projects at a very very localised level where everyone can be involved."

Rasheed said the activity may include similar work he has done in the past such as ecological projects, or helping with nursing.

He worked with both Muslims and Christians in Samoa in the aftermath of the 2009 tsunami.

Muslims and Christians can live together peacefully

Rasheed says that there are many examples where Muslims and Christians have peacefully co-existed, and Samoa should be no exception.

"It's more about making sure that church leaders who have an enormous amount of control and who have a huge burden of trust upon them ensure that they don't get caught up in some of the more conservative and bordering on the irresponsible side of religious ignorance and bigotry."

Who is Aarif Rasheed?

Aaarif Rasheed is a lawyer and mediator and lives in Auckland

In March his Diversity Centre was opened in the Grand Hall of the New Zealand Parliament by former Prime Minister Helen Clark.

Aarif Rasheed's father was the the interfaith pioneer Abdul Rasheed who migrated to New Zealand from Fiji in 1967.

Abdul Rasheed had a degree in Christian theology.

He told the Herald in 1996 that he wanted to study Christianity so he could explain the similarities between the two religions.

He helped to found New Zealand's first mosque in Ponsonby in 1979 and spent years travelling around the Pacific Islands promoting understanding between Islam and Christianity.

He died in 2006.

Source

• radionz.co.nz
• radionz.co.nz
• spasifikmag.com
• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: spasifikmag.com

New Zealand is home to 20,000 thousand Sikhs.

The turban is one of five articles of their faith, and is considered to be the crown of spirituality. But anyone, regardless of faith or sex can wear one. Continue reading

The Auckland Regional Migrant Services (Arms) says it has taken the move so non-Christians and those who do not celebrate Christmas do not feel excluded.

To be multiculturally sensitive, instead of calling its year-end get-together a Christmas lunch, it's a "festive lunch".

Arms spokeswoman Chinwe Akomah said the agency recognised that not all migrants and ethnic communities celebrate Christmas.

"As an inclusive organisation that respects and welcomes people from all backgrounds and faiths, we use terms such as 'festive', 'happy holidays' and 'seasons greetings'," she said.

AUT Professor of Diversity Edwina Pio said expunging Christmas by New Zealand organisations "is a bridge too far".

"I would strongly urge organisations to display their respect, not by erasing the word Christmas, but by being more inclusive so that they keep Happy Christmas, but then also remember to wish individuals for Diwali, Eid Mubarak, Buddha Purnima, Happy Hanukkah and other faith-based festivals," she said.

"I think New Zealand often bends over backwards in their aim not to offend minorities in terms of terminology.

The agency has the backing of Human Rights Commissioner Susan Devoy.

Dame Susan, who is also the agency's patron, said references to Christmas were not banned at the agency but the terminology it used aimed at being inclusive.

"The lunch you refer to has always been called a festive lunch."

Dame Susan wouldn't say if she thought we should use generic terms and greetings rather than refer to Christmas by name.

"New Zealanders don't like being told what to do and we are mature enough to decide how to celebrate our special days in our own ways."

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: scrapbookoftruthdotnet.files.wordpress.com

He says it underlines the unique nature of Fiji.

According to its new constitution Fiji is a multi-faith nation that guarantees religious freedom and establishes a secular state.

Bainimarama believes religion is a unifying force and a bridge between all races, no matter what denomination people belonged to.

"Many people in Fiji were alarmed by the provision in our new Constitution that makes Fiji a secular state."

"They thought that made Fiji non-religious - or even hostile to religion. Their fear is unjustified," he said.

"Our constitution simply respects all religions. Where all faiths flourish in harmony, morality and goodness prevail. That is because faith ennobles."

The Muslim community in Fiji has played a pivotal role together with other Fijians in the country's many achievements, said Bainimarama.

He made these remarks at a dinner with the British Columbia Muslim Association in Canada last week.

Fiji is a multi-race and a multi-culture country, so there is a range of religions present.

The population is 53% Christian, 38% Hindu, and 8% Muslim, with small groups of Sikhs.

It is very common to see Christian churches, mosques, and Sikh and Hindu temples throughout the islands.

Source

• fbc.com.fj
• fijitimes.com
• fijisheart.weebly.com
• Image: fijione,tv