Message to N.Z.

Press, 8 September 1984, Page 1

Message to N.Z.

The recent devaluation and the setting up of a New Zealand Embassy in Saudi Arabia wilt boost exports to the Middle East, said the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to New Zealand and Australia, Dr Abdul Rahman Alohaly, in Christchurch yesterday. Dr Alohaly said Saudi Arabia had a free and open market, but it was over to New Zealand producers tb make the approaches. Market opportunities would be there provided the price and quality of goods were right. Meat and canned foods were in big demand. New Zealand’s meat exports to Saudi Arabia were increasing, even though consumers generally preferred fresh meat. The Saudi Government was trying to get people used to eating chilled or frozen meat because live meat shipments were tob costly. 77 Dr Alohaly said he could

not comment on whether the method of halal slaughtering in New Zealand was satisfactory, but he discounted recent criticism that the form of killing was inhumane.

Islamic law was that a ‘sharp knife should be' used for killing, that knives should not be sharpened in front of the sheep, and that one sheep should not be slaughtered in front of another.

“If you are doing that, you are doing it the best way for the comfort of the animals,” he said. Dr Alohaly was in Christchurch to lay the foundation stone for the new Islamic Centre in Deans Avenue yesterday. He also presented the Canterbury Muslim Association with a $460,000 cheque for the building from the Saudi Government. Another $200,000 in donations has

been sent from the Middle East 7 The Saudi Government was grateful to New Zealand for allowing its people to exercise religious freedom and it was happy to help with the building of a new mosque, he said. The Islamic Centre, which will include the southernmost mosque in the world and which will cater to the 300-member Islamic community in Christchurch, will cost more than $500,000 to build. The mosque will be built entirely of New Zealand materials and will feature Maori carving inside the dome.

Dr Alohaly has been in New Zealand this week to accompany the Saudi Arabian Petroleum Minister, Sheik Ahmed Zaki Yamani, who has had discussions with the Government on oil-pricing policies. ’