Islam on Campus (and Respawning My Faith)

The first time I was introduced to Islam was through a terrorist joke. 

Just a kid playing Halo on my Dad’s Xbox 360, on a tiny TV in the lounge surrounded by my five brothers and baby sister. We had half the screen, playing 1v1 while yelling, “You’re screen-watching!” like it was the greatest sin to ever exist. My eight-year-old(-ish) brothers would yell “Allahu Akbar” before lobbing a grenade at me while I was fighting for my life. I didn’t understand the phrase, but I learned it was something you shouted before an explosion.

Later, in high school, I saw a famous clip (which was edited) of Donald Trump at a rally when someone in the crowd yelled “Allahu Akbar,” and security rushed to shield him from danger. Again, it was tied to fear and terrorism. 

In reality, Allahu Akbar means: “God is the Greatest.”

Got a good grade on your exams? Allahu Akbar!Failed your papers even though you tried your hardest? Allahu Akbar.Tasting your mum’s food after being away from home for a long time? Allahu Akbar.

Running on 2 hours of sleep, surviving on caffeine, ready to crash out because someone on your group project isn’t doing anything? Breathe, calm down (you should probably take a nap) but Allahu Akbar!

I didn’t realise how much my ideas about Islam needed to change, until I actually started learning about it. (And yes, I later became Muslim—PLOT TWIST, IYKYK!). 

A simple two-word phrase which holds so much stigma and debate post 9/11 was distorted in a way that grossly affected the lives of real people. In reality, to the practising Muslim, it truly displays God in a merciful light — not to be used in such disgusting, dehumanising situations.

Even here in Aotearoa, far from the headlines, those harmful ideas still seeped in. From global Islamophobia to the heartbreak of Christchurch in 2019, we’ve learned that ignorance doesn’t stop at borders. Sadly, it took a terrorist attack for me, non-Muslim at the time, to start asking who are Muslims? What do they believe in? Why did that happen? 

This short piece is meant to bring light and awareness to the sweetness of Islam. 

So, what is Islam?

Islam is a faith centred on the belief in one God (Allah), and a way of life that invites inner peace through conscious submission to the Divine. Rooted in the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and the Qur’an (the foundational text of Islam).

Islamic philosophy teaches that all humans are one big nation: an ummah. 

In other words: “Ehara tāku toa he toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.” 

Islam teaches us to love each other, be generous to the poor, uplift the disadvantaged, be kind to our neighbours, stand up for the oppressed (such as imploring tino rangatiratanga), protect the wellbeing of the Earth (kaitiakitanga) and build a world with peace and justice for all (like returning Māori land) regardless of our differences. 

Beyond the headlines, tired jokes (and Brian Tāmaki spreading his misinformed hate-haka which is giving, moumou tō toto Māori), at its core, Islam encourages a life of purpose, compassion, and self-refinement. 

Muslims pray, give in charity, fast, and seek knowledge to become better individuals and contribute to a more just and balanced world, where sincerity and intention is just as important as action. Islam offers a deeply ethical and spiritually grounded framework for engaging with life and community — calling people from all walks of life to the one true message, regardless of their upbringing, culture, or faith background.

Ko wai mātou? Ko Vic Muslims! (Who are we? We are VicMuslims)

VicMuslims is the official Muslim Students’ Association at Te Herenga Waka– Victoria University of Wellington. While today, the club and its members enjoy considerable structure and support from the University and wider community, the rich history of the wider Muslim community in Wellington is closely linked to Te Herenga Waka. As many of our rūruhi, koroheke (elder women and elder men) say; were it not for the existence of VUW, the Muslim community in Wellington would not be where it is today.

At present, we are proud to have 200+ members, including sizable international and domestic student populations. Our membership remains diverse, with most who whakapapa to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Tangata Whenua, and Europe. The club’s primary role is to support, encourage and foster a sense of belonging and community for Muslim students and staff on campus through events and engagements, as well as the operations of the Muslim prayer rooms on campus.

Tōku Tūrangawaewae ki Te Herenga Waka (My standing place at Te Herenga Waka)

For Muslims, prayer (salah) is one of the Five Pillars of Islam—core practices that shape our daily lives. We pray five times a day, not just as a ritual, but as a way to stay tūturu (true) to who we are, our tuakiritanga (identity) as Muslims and stay grounded in purpose.

The Muslim presence at Te Herenga Waka began in the early 1960s with international students arriving on government scholarships. Dr Majed Khan, one of the first permanent Muslim residents and a professor at the university, led the growing community, hosting jummah, the Friday prayers, from his office in the Easterfield Building.

After his passing in 1975, prayers moved to the basement at Weir House, and through the late 70s and 80s, Kelburn campus remained a vibrant hub for Muslim students. Celebrations like Eid and Ramadan were regularly held in spaces such as the Murphy Building.

VicMuslims in its current format took shape in the early 2000s. Until 2015, prayer rooms were based at 86 Fairlie Terrace, before relocating to the Kirk Building in 2015. At Pipitea, spaces shifted from the Railway Station to Rutherford House in 2017, with Te Aro also maintaining a small prayer room in recent years.

Earlier this year, VicMuslims was honoured to have a series of renovations undertaken at the prayer rooms with considerable support from Property Services.

We share this history for two reasons. Firstly, it is a central aspect of our faith to have shukr (gratitude). We show immense gratitude to the wider community at Te Herenga Waka for the priceless support it has given towards the fostering of a Wellington Muslim community that now numbers in the tens of thousands. Secondly, this story signifies the importance of tailored structures of support built into university and wider education systems, that ensure the journey of hundreds of our Muslim akonga (students) and staff, is made an easy one, through the reliance on faith and identity.

Muslim prayer rooms on campus are our safe space. They not only enable us to fulfil our five daily prayers, but extend as a source of empowerment, identity and solitude in what can otherwise be a buzzing environment.

Whether it is Muslim students who have moved to Wellington from around the country, or from halfway around the world, one of the primary steps in embarking on this journey is re-connecting our purpose and connecting to the community. Our Executive regularly sees that for many, the first steps taken after enrolment is application to access our prayer rooms 

THAT is what community and identity is for us.

The ethos is that an individual who knows not a single person in the city, can come to Te Herenga Waka, visit the prayer rooms, and continue on in their journey with the support of the brothers and sisters they meet time and time again. 

Don’t be afraid to reach out. Whether you are a Muslim student or staff member, someone interested in learning about Islam, or even someone who knows nothing about Islam but wants to meet new people and find out more- our doors are always open to help and support. 

We are here to spread the aroha and manaakitanga taught to us by our faith.

You can contact us at vicmuslimsclub@gmail.com or over on our Instagram @vicmuslimsclub 

Much love, 

A Muslim Wāhine and the whānau at VicMuslims 2025