A group of Muslims hope having a cup of coffee with strangers - where no topic is off limit - will help New Zealanders better understand their religion.
Mustenser Qamar (second to right) and his associates with Nelson mayor Rachel Reese, centre. Photo: Supplied / Nelson City Council
The Meet a Muslim campaign is undertaking a 21-day trip, where they will visit every city in the country.
Wellington-based Imam, Mustenser Qamar, from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at, is leading the campaign and said their aim is to quell misconceptions about Islam.
He said many people have never met a Muslim and he has met those who have had a complete turnaround in perspectives after their encounter.
Qamar and his associates can be seen standing on street corners or at cafes, wearing clothing that say "I'm a Muslim - Ask me anything."
He said common questions include differences between Christianity and Islam and views on Jesus Christ.
"We've been asked about Muslim women as well and the maltreatment in Muslim countries. We've spoken about that with them and explained how this is normally a cultural thing and nothing to do with Islamic teachings," he said.
Qamar said he wanted to achieve better understandings by building friendships with people.
"One of the reasons there have been increasing misunderstandings is because many people have never met a Muslim. But others do come with a lot of questions about Islam."
Qamar said the Meet a Muslim campaign started in 2017 and has met many people who had reservations about the religion.
"We also face hate on the street but one person, when he found out about our campaign, he didn't want to sign up to one of the public coffee sessions. He said 'I've got a lot of questions about Islam' so he wanted to meet us separately," he said.
Qamar said he and his colleagues sat down with the man for two hours, and listened to everything he had to say.
"By the end of it, he even said himself, 'you've completely changed my perspective'. It looked like he was influenced by the far right, and yet he had a complete turnaround."
Qamar said by physically meeting people and having that conversation, he is able to change people's views.
He said there are many more similar examples.
