Ahmadiyya external affairs secretary Eqbal Khan says he doesn't believe successive governments have done enough for Auckland's transport infrastructure.
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| Ahmadiyya Muslim community external affairs secretary Eqbal Khan, left, and national president Bashir Khan. (Photo: Stuff) |
Source/Credit: Stuff NZ
By Chris Harrowell | August 28, 2017
Souls to the Polls: This story is the first in a series, called 'Souls to the Polls', looking at what the leaders of south Auckland's religious communities are doing to encourage their faithful to vote in this year's general election, and the different political issues they're facing.
Finding a home while earning minimum wage is one of the biggest challenges faced by south Auckland's Ahmadiyya Muslim community.
Worshippers at its Manurewa mosque are focusing on political issues such as housing, transport and infrastructure, immigration, the economy and jobs leading into this year's general election on September 23.
They'll soon be urged to enrol to vote and to cast their ballot on polling day.
"A formal communication will be put out about two weeks before the election and a reminder will go into the Friday sermons," Ahmadiyya national president Bashir Khan says.
"We will not say 'you need to go and vote for such and such a party', as we remain neutral.
"We encourage our people to vote as they need to be part of the process. The right to vote is a blessing."
Khan estimates about 75 per cent of the mosque's members earn the minimum wage, so they can struggle to find somewhere to live.
"When it comes to affordability there is an issue.
"Most of them can't afford to buy a house and therefore they rent.
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"They pay $400 to $450 [a week] for a two- or three-bedroom house and will live in Manukau or further south as that's where they can afford."
Another problem for Khan's community is New Zealand's immigration laws on arranged marriage, he says.
Many of its members are in marriages arranged by their parents.
"A majority of our people migrated to New Zealand and their parents look at finding a suitable partner for them from their country of origin.
"The challenge we face is Immigration NZ will not recognise [some] arranged marriages.
"They say 'you don't know the other party, therefore we can't see this [relationship] continuing'.
"Our Islamic way of marriage is not about trialling yourself as a partner first."
Despite New Zealand's low unemployment rate of 4.8 per cent, many of the mosque's members find it tough to get work, Khan says.
They have qualifications from their previous country of residence, but that doesn't always help them get a good job.
"The majority of our people who have arrived in the last 12 months under the UNHCR [United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees programme] don't have work."
Khan says the cost of public transport and a lack of transport infrastructure in south Auckland presents another challenge.
"Most people find work in the city. It's very expensive [to catch a bus] and takes a long time.
"People are forced to use cars and that's an issue with travel times."
Ahmadiyya external affairs secretary Eqbal Khan says he doesn't believe successive governments have done enough for Auckland's transport infrastructure.
"Auckland is the hub. It generates three-quarters of revenue for the Government.
"In terms of transportation has the Government been fair? I don't think so.
"When you look at light rail to the airport, it's 20 or 30 years away."
On the issue of law and order, Eqbal Khan says the mosque's members are sometimes affected by crime but it's not a huge issue.
"You do have the odd ones but not very often. We have people who have been robbed in their homes.
"I got burgled a while back. Until it happens you don't realise, then you ask around and you're not the only one."
Go to elections.org.nz to enrol to vote or check your enrolment status.
- Stuff
Read original post here: New Zealand: Housing and immigration among top issues for Muslims
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