By Talaia Mika, Cook Islands News
Masjid Fatimah Rarotonga’s prayer room, inside the mosque. Photo: Cook Islands News
A mosque marker in Titikaveka, Rarotonga, has been removed from Google Maps following community concerns and discussions between landowners and the individual who listed it.
The site, labelled as "Masjid Fatimah", sparked debate both for and against the establishment of the country's first mosque after its discovery and reporting by Cook Islands News.
While the Cook Islands Constitution, specifically Article 64(1), guarantees Muslims the right to practice their religion, this right is limited by the Religious Organisations Restrictions Act of 1975, which restricts the introduction of new religions to only the four authorised within its provisions.
In a Letter to the Editor, local land agent Tere Carr said after this news hit Rarotonga, landowners reached out to her and expressed their opposition to the mosque being located on their land, and asked what they could do about it.
A search of the land title revealed that a residential lease had been granted to one Etita Azam, a landowner and Cook Islander Muslim, but the Google Maps showed her private home as a mosque.
Carr attended a meeting on 21 November between Etita's sister and her brother-in-law, Mohammed Azam, leader of Rarotonga's Muslim community. The meeting was to explain to him how unhappy landowners were to discover through the newspaper that there was a mosque on their land, she said.
"Mr Azam was very sorry that he had caused offence. I explained that in the Cook Islands, all land is customarily owned and granted by landowners for specific purposes, and that the land could only be used for that purpose unless landowners varied the usage through the Court process," Carr said.
"I explained that the issue was not that he and his family and others were praying in his home and practicing their faith, as it was their fundamental right to do so, but rather, that by pinning it on GMR (Google Map) as a mosque, it sent a false message to the world that there was an established mosque on Rarotonga, and by doing so, it varied the use of his wife's residential lease."
Carr said Azam was very gracious and assured her that he would look into removing the pin locating his home as a mosque.
Carr, who returned from overseas last week, said she was happy to see that the pin identifying Azam's home as a mosque had been removed.
"I have advised concerned landowners and they are very happy," she said. "I hope this ends the matter about a mosque in Rarotonga, and also the discrimination shown to Mr Azam and his family."
"Cook Islands News should also reciprocate and report that there is no mosque on Rarotonga."
The newspaper reached out to Tatiana Kautai, the spokesperson for the Muslim community in the Cook Islands, for comment but did not receive a response by press time.
The Masjid Fatimah Rarotonga accommodates a diverse group of adherents, including Cook Islanders, Indonesians, Filipinos, Fijians and Indians.
Last week, Minister for Justice Vaine "Mac" Mokoroa told the newspaper that Masjid Fatimah Rarotonga and two denominations have yet to be registered and should not be operating until he meets with the Religious Advisory Council (RAC) to discuss their legality.
He was scheduled to meet with the Council on Tuesday last week. The newspaper has contacted Mokoroa for an update on his meeting with the Council.
Minister Mokoroa earlier said that the mosque has not yet registered with the government as required by the Religious Organisations Restrictions Act of 1975. The Act limits the introduction of new religions to the only four authorised in the Act - The Cook Islands Christian Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Seventh Day Adventist Church, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. According to the Act, approval must be granted from the Minister of Justice before another religion be established.
Opposition leader Tina Browne last week proposed an immediate and comprehensive review of the Religious Organisations Restrictions Act 1975.
Browne emphasised that any discussions or actions taken regarding Masjid Fatimah Rarotonga must align with the fundamental principles enshrined in our Constitution, particularly Article 64(1), which guarantees the freedom of religion, speech, peaceful assembly, and association.
She said that Cook Islands has a proud history of advocating for human rights through its membership in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and other international forums.
"As legislators, it is our duty to ensure our laws reflect these commitments and do not perpetuate discrimination. The existence of a mosque and other religious groups reflects the evolving diversity of our nation, which should be celebrated rather than constrained," she said.
"We urge the government to collaborate on this critical legislative reform to ensure that the rights of all Cook Islanders are safeguarded while maintaining harmony within our communities."
-This article was first published by Cook Islands News.