Source & Credit: TVNZ | One News
April 17, 2010
Maori can now read the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an, in Te Reo Maori.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim community has been working on the translation project for more than 20 years and has translated just over half of the Holy Qur'an.
The 16 parts have been published into a book comprising the original Arabic text with Maori translation.
The launch at Alexandra Park in Auckland showcased a combination of Maori culture and Islamic tradition.
The local president of the Ahmadiyya Community, Mohammad Shorab, says the translation of the Holy Qur'an is a great way to honour the community's motto: Love for all, hatred for none.
"Islam is a universal religion," says Shorab. "For that reason it is important to invest in other languages and traditions to gain a better understanding of the people around us."
Shorab says the translation into Te Reo not only shows Muslim respect for the Maori community, but is also a way to share with New Zealand something that is "very special and meaningful to us".
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Most of the translation has been the work of Pakistani teacher Shakil Monir who began to learn Maori while working in a school in Nigeria in 1993.
"I am very happy that the first half of the Holy Qur'an has been printed in the Maori language," says Monir. "Not being a Maori myself, there have been some limitations."
He says that with the help of several different Maori language experts, he is confident that the translation is fairly accurate and as close as possible to the original Arabic text.
Read original post here: Muslim holy book translated into Te Reo Maori
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