Assalaamu Alaikum,

Located in the South Pacific, New Zealand is a country of about 60 million sheep but only 3.7 million people, of who about 20 thousand are Muslims.
The first Muslims arrived here in 1868. They were of Chinese involved in the mining industry. When the industry declined they returned without leaving any Muslim heritage behind. The next Muslims for permanent residence came in 1908 in Auckland. It was, however, from 1950 onwards that sizeable numbers of Muslims began establishing a firm foothold in this country, which is known by the indigenous Maori people as “Aotearoa” – Land of the Long White Cloud.