| Al Noor Mosque | |
|---|---|
مسجد النور | |
 Al Noor Mosque in August 2019 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Mosque |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Christchurch,Canterbury |
| Country | New Zealand |
  Location inChristchurch | |
| Coordinates | 43°31′58.6″S172°36′42.2″E / 43.532944°S 172.611722°E /-43.532944; 172.611722 |
| Architecture | |
| Groundbreaking | 1983 |
| Completed | 1985 |
| Specifications | |
| Dome | One |
| Minaret | One |
TheAl Noor Mosque (Arabic:مسجد النور,Masjid al-Noor) is aSunni mosque in theChristchurch suburb ofRiccarton 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 theChristchurch mosque shootings of 15 March 2019.
.jpg)
Al Noor Mosque was founded by the Muslim Association of Canterbury. One prominent member was agricultural scientistHanif Quazi, who at that time was working for theDepartment of Scientific and Industrial Research based inLincoln.[5][6] The mosque broke ground in June 1983.[7] The main construction contract was let in July 1984 to M. L. Paynter Ltd forNZ$500,000.[8] The government ofSaudi Arabia donated $460,000 towards its construction.[9] The firstFriday prayer was held in the mosque on 21 June 1985, coinciding withEid 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]
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]
In 2003, controversy arose within the local Muslim community over the mosque's management. The arrival of new members ofArab andSomali origin sparked tension with the earlier members ofSouth Asian origin, who have a different culture and have a different interpretation ofIslam.[23]
In 2014, an Australian convert was alleged by his mother and stepfather that he was introduced toradical Islam at Al Noor before going toYemen to joinal-Qaeda, an allegation denied by Hisham el-Zeiny, the mosque'simam.[24][25][26][27][28] The president of theFederation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand, Anwar Ghani, said that mosque officials had told aSalafi follower not to promote his views there.[27] El-Zeiny said that many Muslims were angry aboutUS drone strikes in Yemen and that the mosque's leadership was "spending most of [its] time trying to lessen the effect."[24]
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.
This mosque – Masjid Al Noor – is managed by MAC.
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.'
By now, 41 people were dead or dying, and a similar number had been injured.… Hundreds of mourners gathered at the Deans Avenue mosque.
'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.
A Muslim preacher in New Zealand has denied suggestions an Australian man killed in Yemen was radicalised at a Christchurch mosque.… Havard's mother Bronwyn Dowrick and step-father Neill Dowrick told 7.30 their troubled son … had encountered radical Islam after moving to New Zealand.
[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.
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.'
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.
[Respondent]: 'I've never seen or heard from any radical people here at the mosque.'
