About CIONZ
Who we are and why we exist
Who we are
The Council of Islamic Organisations of New Zealand (CIONZ) is a national umbrella organisation for Islamic organisations and Muslim communities in New Zealand. It was founded by a group of imams, scholars and community leaders who share a commitment to authentic Islamic values, genuine consultation, and accountable representation.
CIONZ is incorporated under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 and intends to register as a charity under the Charities Act 2005.
Why CIONZ, and why now
CIONZ was established in 2026 by imams, scholars and Islamic organisations from across New Zealand who shared a conviction: that as our communities grow in size, diversity and confidence, they need national structures built to match.
New Zealand’s Muslim community is no longer small or new. It spans dozens of organisations, many languages and several generations, from Auckland to Southland. That growth raises questions only a properly constituted national body can answer well — how positions affecting Muslims nationally are formed, who is consulted before they are taken, and how qualified scholarship is brought to bear on matters of faith.
CIONZ was founded to answer those questions in a documented and accountable way: consultation before representation, scholarly authority with genuine effect, and membership open to any Muslim organisation willing to serve alongside us.
We were established to build, not to oppose. Our measure will be the value we create for our member organisations and the trust we earn across the community.
Why we exist
New Zealand’s Muslim communities are diverse, capable and growing. Yet Islamic organisations often work in isolation, and national matters affecting Muslims are not always approached through proper consultation or grounded in authentic scholarship.
CIONZ exists to provide a trusted, well-governed national platform: one that strengthens organisations, gives the community a legitimate collective voice, and ensures that decisions affecting Muslims are informed both by qualified scholarship and by the people they affect. Our legitimacy is something we intend to earn — through integrity, consultation, competent service and demonstrable value — rather than something we assert.
Our vision
A confident, well-served and united New Zealand Muslim community — represented with integrity and guided by authentic Islamic scholarship.
Our mission
To serve and strengthen Islamic organisations and Muslim communities across New Zealand through consultation, authentic Islamic guidance, capable governance and trustworthy national representation.
What we do
CIONZ exists to serve the Muslim community across several domains. These are the purposes set out in our constitution — the direction of our work as we build.
Advancing Islam
Preserving the religious identity and heritage of the community in accordance with the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Representation and social cohesion
Acting as a representative body for our member organisations; engaging constructively with government and media to protect religious liberties, eliminate discrimination and foster mutual understanding.
Strengthening organisations
Governance training, resources and best-practice standards for Islamic organisations, including safety, management and Halal compliance.
Active citizenship
Encouraging participation, volunteering and social responsibility among New Zealand Muslims, for the benefit of the wider community.
Leadership development
Establishing a national Leadership Development Framework that identifies, trains and mentors community leaders, building a sustainable pipeline of governance talent.
Religious infrastructure and guidance
Supporting the services, education and authoritative guidance the community needs to practise its faith.
Engagement beyond our community
CIONZ’s constitution commits us to engaging constructively with government, media and wider New Zealand society — to help protect religious liberties, eliminate discrimination, and foster mutual understanding between Muslims and their fellow New Zealanders.
We take that commitment seriously. CIONZ supports respectful, durable relationships with other faith and ethnic communities, and we welcome dialogue and practical cooperation on what we share: safety, dignity, freedom of religion, and a cohesive society in which every community can thrive.
We also believe such relationships are strongest when they are built properly. Where an agreement or public commitment touches on matters of Islamic belief or religious practice, CIONZ consults its member organisations and seeks the ratification of our Council of Scholars (Majlis al-Ulama) before signing. That is not a barrier to engagement — it is what makes our commitments dependable.
Our principles
Islamic integrity — no strategy, partnership or initiative will require CIONZ to compromise its Islamic identity.
Consultation (Shūrā) — meaningful consultation on the matters that affect the community.
Scholarly oversight — genuine authority for qualified scholars over religious matters, never a ceremonial role.
Trust and justice (Amanah) — truthfulness, fairness, fulfilment of agreements and accountability before Allah.
Unity without uniformity — cooperation around shared interests while respecting legitimate differences of jurisprudence, culture and local priority.