Dunedin mosque opens doors to public

The Clyde St mosque opened its doors on Saturday in a bid to help break down barriers of misunderstanding in the community.

The open day was held as part of Islam Awareness Week, which is organised annually by local Muslims to increase New Zealanders' awareness of their beliefs, values and practices.

Visitors were able to learn about Islam through static displays and reading material on offer.

Noraini Ibrahim attended the open day with her daughter, Sakinah Abdul (13), and felt the information displayed was clear and helpful.

"It resolves some misconceptions and helps understanding. People need to be exposed to different cultures for social harmony," she said.

Open day organisers, Aufar Bahri and Yassar Alamri, said the event was a success with many people attending out of curiosity.

Mr Alamri felt the Dunedin community was supportive of the increasing Muslim population.

About 300 people, many of them students, are recognised as being of the Muslim faith in Dunedin.