Many Marshallese people have converted to the Ahmadiyya version of Islam, since it was introduced by Fijian missionaries in the 1990s. Tanna Island, Vanuatu A young Muslim girl holds a mirror in the female section of the mosque. There are only few mosques in the country, which has a large Christian population Muezzin of the Ivel mosque, Abdul Masjeed, 32, (left) calls for prayer while the imam, Abdul Karim, prepares for worship. In Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Vanuatu there are several young Muslim communities. They buy their second-hand Muslim dresses in local markets, as there are no shops selling Islamic clothes in PNG Tariq Plamp, 44, imam of the mosque in Anga village in Western Highlands Province gives an Islamic lesson to the young children from his village Idris Francis Ghape, 50, with his family in their house in Bushwara village, National Capital District. Islam came to Oceania a few decades ago and now is fast growing. Islam was introduced to the Papuan people and it slowly gained popularity among the locals. They are almost not connected with the Muslims from the rest of the world and their members mix Islamic practices with their ancestors’ beliefs.Melanesian Muslims often perform customary dances and ceremonies and hunt with bow and arrows, like their ancestors.
After Indonesia annexed West Papua, Islam was introduced to Papuan people and it is gaining popularity among the locals A Papuan "bechak" (bicycle ricksha) driver on a street of Wamena town in Baliem Valley. Most of them sleep in the mosque or community centre buildings People in front of the Port Moresby Hohola mosque during Ramadan PNG women wait to start breaking their Ramadan fast at the mosque in Port Moresby Food distribution in front of the Port Moresby mosque during Ramadan. Abdus says that before he became Muslim he had abused his wife, but since they converted he has stopped hitting her Idris Francis Ghape, 50, plays with his son in the yard of the Islamic Community Centre of PNG, in Port Moresby Abdul Gafar, 34, from Chimbu Province stands in a PNG Islamic Community Centre room in Port Moresby. The village accommodates a large community of Muslims from Chimbu Province Muslims near the mosque of Bushwara village in the outskirts of Port Moresby Muslims pray in a small wooden mosque in Bushwara village Yakub Ibrahim, 4, with other Muslims in front of the Ahmadiyya Mosque in Kimbe town, West Britain Province.
Despite Indonesia imposing Islam as a state religion, many Papuans remain Christians or practice their ancestors’ beliefs Indonesian Muslim girls near the shop in Wamena town, the capital of Baliem Valley in Papua Province, Indonesia A Papuan community leader of Megapura village wears his Muslim dress for prayer. Baliem Valley, Papua Province, Indonesia Papuan Muslim, Abdullah Lakobal, with his son near the Al Hijraj mosque in Megapura village during Ramadan A Muslim girl, Gode Lakobal, 9, near her house in Megapura village Muslim children of Megapura village doing ritual ablution to prepare themselves for the evening prayer Abdullah Lakobal, with his and his neighbours' children in his house in Megapura village during Ramadan.
They are almost not connected with the Muslims from the rest of the world and their members mix Islamic practices with their ancestors’ beliefs. She and her mother converted to Islam in 2011 Evening prayer in Ahmadiyya mosque in Majuro, the Marshall Islands. Tanna Island, Vanuatu Ni-Vanuatu Muslims from Ivel village perform a customary dance after worshiping in the mosqueBaet-Ul-Ahad Mosque was built in 2012 for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands.
Baliem Valley, Papua Province, Indonesia It is the oldest mosque in PNG Imam of Mele village, Mohammed Sidik Sambu, 56 (left) and Bruno Muohammed Husein, 43, (right) near a mosque. In Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Vanuatu there are several young Muslim communities. Despite Indonesia imposing Islam as a state religion, many Papuans remain Christians or have retained the practices or beliefs of their ancestors.
It is the only mosque in the Micronesia region of Oceania Children play with a laptop in the library of the Ahmadiyya mosque in Majuro Kalona, 13, helps in the community kitchen in the Ahmadiyya mosque in Majuro. By current estimates, there are 620,156 total Muslims in Oceania: 476,600 in Australia, 48,151 in New Zealand, 52,520 in Fiji, 6,352 in New Caledonia, 2,200 in Papua New Guinea, 360 in Solomon Islands, 221 in Vanuatu, 110 in Tonga. Vanuatu A Muslim woman, Atika Nawuata, near her house in Ivel village on Tanna Island, Vanuatu.