At least 12,000 people of Arab descent now live in New Zealand making up less than one percent of the country’s total population. Despite being few in number, numerous Arab New Zealanders have gone on to become leaders in their chosen fields. Here are four Arab New Zealanders that have been recognized on the world stage.
Ranginui Walker
Dr Ranginui Walker was a well-known New Zealand activist and writer who played an instrumental role in bringing Māori rights issues to the forefront of New Zealand politics.
Throughout his life, Walker made many contributions to bettering Māori life in New Zealand as an associate professor of Māori studies at Auckland University, as the author of Ka Whawhai Tonu Matou: Struggle Without End and as a member of the Waitangi Tribunal.
Walker’s works have become an invaluable source of information on Maori literature and have worked to provide a groundbreaking and uniquely Māori view of history.
In 2001, Walker was appointed a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to Māori. After his death in 2016, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said that Walker was “not only an insightful commentator on important historical and contemporary issues but was a tireless and passionate advocate for Maori.”
Walker is of Lebanese and Māori descent.
Joe Karam
Joseph “Clock” Karam is one of New Zealand’s most well-known All Blacks rugby players.
Karam was born in 1951 in Tauramanui to a Lebanese father and Irish mother. Karam played high school rugby for St Patrick’s College Silverstream where he also represented the North Island secondary school team and centurion Club Clots.
Karam’s fame did not really grow, however, until he became All Black in 1972 where he recorded successive victories over Wales, Scotland, and England – including five penalties in his test debut against the Welsh. All in all, Karam went on to feature in 42 All Blacks matches scoring 345 points which included 65 test points from 10 matches.
Today many Kiwis also know Joe Karam for his support of acquitted murderer David Bain.
Noah Billingsley
23-year-old Noah Billingsley is certainly not a household name yet but as one of New Zealand football’s bright young talents, his fame is certainly set to grow.
Billingsley, whose father is Egyptian, grew up in New Zealand and made his national debut at the age of 17 when he set New Zealand football history by scoring New Zealand’s first-ever Men’s U20 World Cup goal in their 5-1 home win over Myanmar.
Since then, Billingsley has played 3 times for the full men’s national team and is currently signed with MLS side Minnesota United where he made his debut in 2020.
Billingsley went on loan to the Las Vegas Lights where he made 9 appearances in the USL but he is now back with his Minnesota based club.
Minnesota United games may not available to watch on mainstream sports channels but Kiwi football fans can still use any of New Zealand’s betting sites with free bets to follow the action and bet on Billingsley.
Aysha Hussan
Aysha Hussan may only be in her second year at high school in New Zealand but she recently featured on the 2020 Muslim Women in Sports Powerlist.
The Kiwi teen is an up-and-coming track athlete and netballer who started breaking sporting records at the age of 13. She hopes to be the first Muslim woman to join the New Zealand Olympics team and aims to compete in the 400m competition.
Hussan was one of 34 Muslim Women recognized by the Muslim Women in Sport Network and her fellow female sports stars include 400m hurdles Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad, Indonesian climber Aries Susant who was the first woman in the world to climb a speed wall in under seven seconds, and Zahra Lari, the first international figure skater to compete wearing a hijab.
Arab people and their descendants can be found on all corners of the globe – including the small south pacific island nation of New Zealand. You may never have heard of Walker, Karam, Billingsley and Hussam but they represent a handful of Arab New Zealanders who have achieved great success in their chosen disciplines.
