ENG-1964 — Page 260

RELIGION

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There are about 5,000 followers of Islam in Hong Kong, most of them Chinese who have come to the Colony during the past ten years. The other members of the Muslim community are mainly Pakistanis, Malaysians, Persians and people from neighbouring regions. They gather for prayers at the Shelley Street Mosque on Hong Kong Island and the Nathan Road Mosque in Kowloon. The Shelley Street Mosque dates back to the early days of the Islamic faith in Hong Kong in the 1880's. The mosque in Kowloon was originally built for the use of Moslem troops in the former Indian Army and is situated on land at present within the bound- aries of Whitfield Barracks. Two places have been set aside by the Government as burial grounds for the Muslim community. One is at Happy Valley and the other at the new Cape Collinson Cemetery, Chai Wan. The latter contains a beautifully designed mosque built by Government.

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A board of trustees, comprising representatives of the various groups within the Muslim community, is the co-ordinating body of all religious affairs and is also responsible for looking after the mosques and the cemeteries. Much charitable work among the Muslim community is being done by a welfare committee set up in recent years by a group of public-spirited women.

The Hindu community numbers more than 3,500 and their religious and social activities centre round the temple in Happy Valley. The community has been associated with Hong Kong since earliest times and the temple itself is considered to be one of the finest in the Far East. In addition to visits by Saints, Swamis and learned men who give spiritual lectures, a number of festivals are observed, the more important being the Holy Festival, the Birth of Lord Krishna, Shivaratri, Dessahara and Deewali. The Hindu Association of Hong Kong is responsible for the upkeep of the temple which is also used for meditation periods, for yoga classes and the teaching of Hindi.