There are about 90 000
Muslims in Hong Kong, of which some 30 000
are Chinese. The others are mostly locally
born non-Chinese but there are also Muslims
from Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia
and Middle Eastern and African countries.
Coordinating all Islamic
religious affairs is the Incorporated
Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund
of Hong Kong, a public charity. A board
of trustees, nominated by the Islamic
Union of Hong Kong, the Pakistan Association,
the Indian Muslim Association and the
Dawoodi Bohra Association, manages and
maintains the masjids, two cemeteries
and one kindergarten. The trustees also
organise Muslim festival celebrations
and other religious events. Charitable
work among the Muslim community, including
financial aid for the needy, medical facilities
and assisted education, is conducted through
various Muslim organisations.
The Chinese Muslim Cultural
and Fraternity Association, established
in Wanchai in 1922, is the major organisation
representing Chinese Muslims in Hong Kong.
Apart from conducting religious activities,
the association manages and maintains
five non-profit educational facilities
— one college, two primary schools
and two kindergartens. The association
conducts charitable work to aid local
Chinese Muslims and Muslims in China.
Five principal masjids
are used for daily prayers, the oldest
being the Jamia Masjid in Shelley Street
on Hong Kong Island, which was established
in 1849 and rebuilt in 1915 to accommodate
400 worshippers.
The eight-storey Masjid
Ammar and Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre,
managed by the Islamic Union of Hong Kong
in Wan Chai, houses a masjid on two floors,
community hall, library, medical clinic,
classrooms and offices and can accommodate
from 700 to 1 500 people depending
on requirements.
The imposing Kowloon
Masjid and Islamic Centre, with its distinctive
white marble finish, is a major landmark
in Tsim Sha Tsui. With three prayer halls,
community hall, medical centre and library,
the masjid can accommodate 3 500
worshippers. There is also a masjid inside
Stanley Prison. There are two Muslim
cemeteries, one in Happy Valley and the
other, which also has a masjid, at Cape
Collinson, Chai Wan. |