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RELIGION AND CUSTOM
Kong Island, which was established before the turn of the century and rebuilt in 1915. It can accommodate a congregation of 400.
The Masjid Ammar and Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre, filling eight storeys in Wan Chai, was opened in 1981 and houses a mosque on two floors, a community hall, a library, a medical clinic, classrooms and offices. The mosque is managed by the Islamic Union of Hong Kong and accommodates 700 people but can hold up to 1 500 by using other space in the centre.
The Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre, on what is sometimes called the 'Golden Mile' in Nathan Road, was opened in 1984 and replaced a mosque built in 1896. This imposing building, with white marble finishing, is a distinctive landmark in Tsim Sha Tsui. The mosque can hold about 2 000 worshippers and has three prayer halls, a community hall, a medical clinic and a library.
The two Muslim cemeteries are both on Hong Kong Island - one at Happy Valley and the other at Cape Collinson, Chai Wan. The Cape Collinson cemetery also has a mosque. The co-ordinating body for all Islamic religious affairs is the Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong. 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 mosques and cemeteries. The trustees are also responsible for organising the celebration of Muslim festivals 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 local Muslim organisations.
The Hindu Community
The religious and social activities of Hong Kong's 12 000-strong Hindu community are centred at the Hindu Temple in Happy Valley. The Hindu Association of Hong Kong is responsible for the upkeep of the temple, which is also used for meditation periods, yoga classes and other community activities. Naming, engagement and marriage ceremonies are performed at the temple according to Hindu rites. Devotional music sessions and religious discourses are held every Sunday morning. and Monday evening. The Sunday sessions are followed by a free community meal.
The Hindu Temple is an approved place of worship for the performance of marriages and the issue of marriage certificates under the Marriage Ordinance. The temple is frequently visited by swamis and learned men from overseas who deliver spiritual lectures. All major Hindu festivals are observed, the more important ones being Holi, the Birth of Lord Krishna, Shivaratri, Dussehra and Diwali.
Other important services are the administration of last rites, arranging cremation and related ceremonies, and maintaining the Hindu crematorium at Cape Collinson.
The Sikh Community
came to
The Sikhs distinguished by their stylised turbans and unshorn hair Hong Kong from the Punjab, in North India, as part of the British Armed Forces in the 19th century. Because of their generally strong physique, they also comprised a large segment of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force before World War II.
Today, members of the community are engaged in a variety of occupations. The centre of their religious and cultural activities is the Sikh Temple at 371 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island. A special feature of the temple, which was