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A visiting American Muslim is debunking the myths of jihad as she promotes Islam Awareness Week.
Tayyibah Taylor, spoke to students from seven colleges at the Wellington mosque in Kilbirnie yesterday about how people associate Muslims with terrorism.
"The association with terrorism . . . is a huge challenge. This huge community has been defined by a few who are violent (but) those are a minority of a minority."
Muslims in the United States were saddled with the challenge of experiencing both anti-Muslim and anti-American rhetoric, said Trinidad-born Ms Taylor, who has been an American citizen for 18 years.
"We have to explain being Muslim to our American counterparts and we have to explain being American to our Muslim counterparts."
Equally, the translation of the word jihad as "holy war" had been negative for Islam, she said. "In Arabic syntax you don't put those two words together. Jihad means struggle (and stands for) the internal struggle between good and evil within yourself."
Ms Taylor, founder and editor of Muslim women's magazine Azizah, talked to groups in Brunei and Perth before visiting New Zealand. She was invited to speak by the Office of Ethnic Affairs, with the support of the US embassy.
Ethnic Affairs Minister Chris Carter said Islam Awareness Week, starting next Monday, was about strengthening ties between Muslims and non-Muslims.
"The Muslim community will be opening its doors and letting people know what it is like to be in the Muslim community," he said.
Of the 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide, 80 per cent are non-Arab, with the largest population living in Indonesia. Thirty per cent of American Muslims are African Americans.
New Zealand has about 40,000 Muslims of 40 nationalities.
Tayyibah Taylor, spoke to students from seven colleges at the Wellington mosque in Kilbirnie yesterday about how people associate Muslims with terrorism.
"The association with terrorism . . . is a huge challenge. This huge community has been defined by a few who are violent (but) those are a minority of a minority."
Muslims in the United States were saddled with the challenge of experiencing both anti-Muslim and anti-American rhetoric, said Trinidad-born Ms Taylor, who has been an American citizen for 18 years.
"We have to explain being Muslim to our American counterparts and we have to explain being American to our Muslim counterparts."
Equally, the translation of the word jihad as "holy war" had been negative for Islam, she said. "In Arabic syntax you don't put those two words together. Jihad means struggle (and stands for) the internal struggle between good and evil within yourself."
Ms Taylor, founder and editor of Muslim women's magazine Azizah, talked to groups in Brunei and Perth before visiting New Zealand. She was invited to speak by the Office of Ethnic Affairs, with the support of the US embassy.
Ethnic Affairs Minister Chris Carter said Islam Awareness Week, starting next Monday, was about strengthening ties between Muslims and non-Muslims.
"The Muslim community will be opening its doors and letting people know what it is like to be in the Muslim community," he said.
Of the 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide, 80 per cent are non-Arab, with the largest population living in Indonesia. Thirty per cent of American Muslims are African Americans.
New Zealand has about 40,000 Muslims of 40 nationalities.
