Douglas Pratt - Antipodean Angst, Islam in New Zealand and Globalised Issues of Encounter

Islam first came to New Zealand in the form of Chinese gold miners in the 19th century, but it was to be many years before a distinctive Muslim community, with its own forms of organisation and purpose-built mosques, would emerge. Effectively invisible to New Zealand society for about a century, it is only as a result of immigration and refugee re-settlement in recent decades, coupled with the more recent ubiquitous exposure to Islam via the media, that the presence of Islam and Muslims has surfaced within the New Zealand landscape and societal consciousness to the point of provoking a measure of anxiety if not outright hostility. This talk will review the history of Islam and the place of Muslims in New Zealand and discuss the challenges and issues faced by Muslims as well as social responses and perceptions, including evidence of a rising anxiety about all things Islamic, that have been forged more by external global issues than local factors.

See full event here:
http://rumiforum.org/antipodean-angst-islam-in-new-zealand-and-globalised-issues-of-encounter/

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