Religion is not spread by the sword, Islamic doctor Nasser Shehata told the crowd at Palmerston North's convention centre yesterday.
Speaking as part of Islam awareness week, Mr Shehata implored the gathered listeners to ignore the negative stereotypes of Islam often pushed since September 11.
"The core of Islam, as well as Christianity, is tolerance and forgiveness," he said. "Love your neighbours - love your enemies, even."
The common misperception that Islam preaches violence is totally against anything written the The Qu'ran, or word of god, he said.
One of the major pieces of innaccurate information surrounds the notion of jiihad. "There are two types of jiihad. One is 'major jiihad' - the struggle against our own whims and desires, evil things like lust and greed. To be a good citizen you must control your desires."
The other jiihad, known as "minor jiihad", concerns the use of violence in self defence - a collective effort, if someone is trying to oppress a community.
It is not up to one person to claim a war against other citizens, or commit random killings - this is totally against everything Islam stands for, Mr Shehata said.
"Some followers will take the message without knowledge - if you take it without a deeper understanding, you will err. It is not for individuals to take matters into their own hands."
"Islam ia a religion which preaches peace and coexistence, as it has always been throughout history."
Media bias when reporting on Islamic issues has not helped, he said.
"If a criminal of any other faith commits a crime, they [the media] would not say - a Christian man, or a Christian woman did this."
But Palmerston North has a good attitude towards Muslims, and New Zealand as a country is much more accepting than some others, Mr Shehata said.
"New Zealand has the worldwide notion that it is tolerant and open- minded, and not taking a stance against any parties."
Muslim community member Haba Hagazi spoke on the role of women in Islam, saying the basic principle of the Hijab, or veil, is modesty.
"It is not a cultural practice, it is an essential part of our religion. People think we might wear it to intimidate or annoy or something, but actually it is very important."
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