Source: Radio New Zealand
Haji Zamberi Matyunus, a long time resident in Mataura and the current imam of the Mataura Masjid. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
In a former Anglican church just off Mataura’s main street, you’ll find a new group of worshippers.
The Mataura Masjid and community centre was established at the deconsecrated site in 2018, providing a new place for the Southland region’s Muslim community to gather.
Its 25 or so members come from far and wide, both in terms of their countries of origin, as well as the rural settlements they travel from.
Haji Zamberi Matyunus, a long time resident in Mataura and the current imam (leader) of the Mataura Masjid, told Country Life it was the only mosque of its kind in the rural area, the nearest alternatives being Dunedin or Invercargill.
Follow Country Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts.
Matyunus moved to Mataura from Malaysia more than 40 years ago. There is a stark contrast between the town of less than 2000 residents and the busy city of Kuala Lumpur with a population of over 2 million.
“I like the area – very quiet and peaceful. I like fishing too, and the river is near my house,” he said with a chuckle. The Mataura River is well-known for it’s world-class brown trout fly fishing.
Other members come from “every country”, including Fiji, Libya, and the Philippines – almost too many to name. They travel in from across the wider Southland and Otago regions including from Roxborough, Tapanui, Gore, and Wyndham.
Many, like Matyunus, work at the local meat works processing halal meat – a growing part of New Zealand’s export portfolio, with the government signing new agreements with Indonesia and Malaysia last year.
“The halal process is very, very important for Muslims,” he told Country Life.
Halal is an Arabic word meaning permissible. Halal food excludes pork, alcohol, improperly slaughtered meat, and even certain by-products of non-halal meat like gelatine or animal rennet.
For meat to be halal, a few things have to happen:
- The animal must be cut at the major blood vessel point on the neck to ensure a quick death.
- The animal must not be already dead or suffering.
- A Muslim must proclaim ‘in the name of Allah’ as an act of asking for permission before the slaughter. (Some scholars recommend facing the direction of prayer, Mecca, too.)
- But halal isn’t just about how an animal is killed – it includes how the food is stored, handled, and prepared. Any contamination with non-halal substances can make it impermissible to eat.
Matyunus said he was proud to play a part in this and to call Mataura home. The Masjid is “open for everyone” in the community.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
