The Al Noor Mosque (Arabic: مسجد النور, Masjid al-Noor) is a Sunni mosque in the Christchurch suburb of Riccarton in New Zealand.[1][2] It was built between 1983 and 1985 by the Muslim Association of Canterbury, an organisation founded in 1977 that also manages the mosque building.[3][4] It was the primary target of the Christchurch mosque shootings of 15 March 2019.
History
Quazi in 2013
Al Noor Mosque was founded by the agricultural scientist Hanif Quazi, who at that time was working for the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research based in Lincoln.[5][6] The mosque broke ground in June 1983.[7] The main construction contract was let in July 1984 to M. L. Paynter Ltd for NZ$500,000.[8] The government of Saudi Arabia donated $460,000 towards its construction.[9] The first Friday prayer was held in the mosque on 21 June 1985, coinciding with Eid al-Fitr.[10] It was the second mosque in New Zealand.[11]
In 2003, the Christchurch Muslim community organised a "National Māori Muslim Day" at the mosque.[12] By 2015, the mosque had 550 members.[9]
Terror attack
Al Noor Mosque after the terror attacks, with flowers placed along the top of the fence.
On 15 March 2019, the site was one of two targets in a terrorist attack at Christchurch.[13] A majority of the victims were at Al Noor: of the 51 people fatally shot and the 40 people injured overall in the attack, 44 victims died and another 35 survived gunshot wounds in the mosque.[14][15][16] The mosque reopened on 23 March.[17] The lone attacker was convicted of multiple murder, attempted murder, and terrorism charges on 2 June 2020,[18][19] and sentenced to life in prison without parole on 27 August the same year.[20][21][22]
Controversies
In 2003, controversy arose within the local Muslim community over the mosque's management. The arrival of new members of Arab and Somali origin sparked tension with the earlier members of South Asian origin, who have a different culture and have a different interpretation of Islam.[23]
In 2014, an Australian convert was alleged by his mother and stepfather that he was introduced to radical Islam at Al Noor before going to Yemen to join al-Qaeda, an allegation denied by Hisham el-Zeiny, the mosque's imam.[24][25][26][27][28] The president of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand, Anwar Ghani, said that mosque officials had told a Salafi follower not to promote his views there.[27] El-Zeiny said that many Muslims were angry about US drone strikes in Yemen and that the mosque's leadership was "spending most of [its] time trying to lessen the effect."[24]
^Drury, A. M. (2016). Once Were Mahometans: Muslims in the South Island of New Zealand, mid-19th to late 20th century, with special reference to Canterbury (Thesis, Master of Philosophy (MPhil)). University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10289/10630
^Drury, A. M. 'Mahometans on the Edge of Colonial Empire: Antipodean Experiences', Islam and Christian–Muslim. Relations, Volume 29, Issue 1, (2018), pp. 71–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/09596410.2017.1384230
^Kolig, Erich (2009). New Zealand's Muslims and Multiculturalism. Brill. p. 33. ISBN978-90-474-4070-3. The Canterbury Muslim Association (MAC) was established in Christchurch in 1977 … and was able to build a mosque … in 1985. In recent years, for a while, it was seriously disrupted by internal wrangling over the management of the mosque and centre.
^ abMatthewson, Nicole (3 December 2015). "Fighting, Killing 'Not the Muslim Way'". The Press. Christchurch, NZ. Retrieved 20 March 2019. Jackson, of the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies … said … 'Just because they were attending a mosque at the time, doesn't mean the mosque was connected.' … Morris, a specialist in world religions, said … 'It creates an opportunity for these issues to be raised and addressed.'
^Dudding, Adam; Hartevelt, John (15 March 2019). "The End of Our Innocence". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 20 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019. By now, 41 people were dead or dying, and a similar number had been injured.… Hundreds of mourners gathered at the Deans Avenue mosque.
^Kolig, Erich (2009). New Zealand's Muslims and Multiculturalism. Brill. pp. 225, 227. ISBN978-90-474-4070-3. 'Fundamentalists' and 'Moderates' Fighting over the Christchurch Mosque and Halal Meat… In 2003, an argument over the control of the Al-Noor mosque in Christchurch led to warnings in the popular press of alleged links to terrorism and Islamic extremism among some factions within the Muslim community.
^Wall, Tony; Ensor, Blair; Vance, Andrea (27 July 2014). "A Kiwi Lad's Death by Drone". Sunday Star-Times. Auckland. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. [Daryl] Jones was killed alongside Australian Christopher Havard, whose parents said he was introduced to radical Islam at the Al-Noor mosque in Christchurch. Mosque leaders confirmed Havard stayed there and studied in 2011, but denied radical teaching took place.
^"Christchurch Mosque Linked to al-Qaida Suspect". Newshub. Auckland. 4 June 2014. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. His parents … say their son told them he was first taught radical Islam at the Al Noor mosque…. '[He was] no different than other people,' says mosque president Mohamed Jama. 'He was a normal man.'
^ abEnsor, Blair; Wall, Tony; Vance, Andrea (28 July 2014). "Suspected Terrorist's Brother Rebuked". The Press. Christchurch, NZ. Nathan Jones … objected to what the speaker was telling the congregation and heckled him, Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand president Dr Anwar Ghani told Fairfax Media.… '[Jones was] told that … if you have those views [then] keep it to yourself – we don't want to hear it here.
^Zeiny, Hisham el (4 June 2014). "Chrischurch [sic] Imam Responds". RNZ Checkpoint (Interview). Riccarton, NZ: Radio New Zealand. [Respondent]: 'I've never seen or heard from any radical people here at the mosque.'
.jpg)
