The celebration of Eid al-Fitr is one of the cornerstone holidays of Islam.
It marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan and this year takes place over Monday 2 May to Tuesday 3 May.
Dr Anwar Ghani, patron of Recruit Wing 294 and a member of the Police Muslim Communities Reference Group, says recognition of Ramadan and Eid reflects Police’s improved understanding of the community.
The Police Muslim Communities Reference Group was established to create a circle of knowledgeable and respected people directly affected by the 15 March terrorist attacks to provide advice and guidance to inform Police direction and strategy.
“We were created to help the Police with implementing recommendations by the Royal Commission of Enquiry into the March 15 attack,” says Dr Ghani, a former President of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ).
“The Reference Group is a sounding board for Police in co-designing solutions which will work for all communities.
“We were responding to and cross-checking the ideas and suggestions brought forward. The group scopes out the work, reviews the implementation and sees if the requirements or needs of communities are being met.”
The relationship with Police, however, is not new – officially it dates back to when FIANZ and Police signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2008.
“We’ve had at least 14 years of commitment to each other,” says Dr Ghani. “That relationship has paid dividends after the attack on March 15. It would have been chaotic to not have that relationship in place when that horrible attack happened.”
Dr Ghani is particularly proud of the work the group did to help change licensing rules around firearms ownership in New Zealand, and how FIANZ helped shape and influence cultural competency training in Police.
“I think it’s had a significant and good influence. The narratives and views were not in the conversation prior to that, and it now brings a greater awareness to all Police, not just recruits.”
He hopes to see more Muslim applicants join Police.
Deputy Commissioner Iwi and Community Wally Haumaha agrees. “Because of this long-standing relationship Police have had with the Muslim community, trust and confidence and respect was already there from the long-standing relationship," he says.
“As long as the need is there, the group can continue to work with Police for the security of all New Zealanders and this is a good thing.
“I think more Muslim people are thinking of Police as a career, as they know they can do good work within their community and keep the wider community safe.
“We are seeing increases in the number of Muslim people who see this is a good job.
“The more diversity we have, the more empathy and understanding there are for other cultures and religions. Diversity is one of our core values and we see diversity as a strength.”
The design and introduction of a Police uniform hijab in2020, which made headlines worldwide, is a practical sign of Police’s commitment, says Wally.
“We all want New Zealand to be a great place for our tamariki and mokopuna so celebrating Eid with the Muslim community feels like a wonderful and appropriate way to come together,” he says.
“We are working hard on a number of fronts to have a more diverse workforce and are very keen to support initiatives to help young Muslim people think of a career in New Zealand Police as a real option for their future.”
Eid al-Fitr is a joyous occasion and an important event for Muslims across the world with celebrations of prayer, charity, social gatherings, festive meals and gift giving.