ENG-1982 — Page 283

208

RELIGION AND CUSTOM

Muslim Community There are about 30 000 followers of Islam in Hong Kong. The majority are Chinese, with the rest from Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Middle East. During 1982, they gathered for prayers at the Shelley Street Mosque and at the Masjid Ammar on Hong Kong Island, and at the Kowloon temporary mosque adjacent to the site of the former Kowloon Mosque which was demolished in 1980.

Built in 1896 for use by Muslim soldiers of the former Indian Army, and subsequently handed over to the Muslim community, the Kowloon Mosque had badly deteriorated with age. Rebuilding is going ahead on the site and it is envisaged a beautiful new mosque will be completed by mid-1983.

A mosque situated at Wong Nai Chung Road also was demolished - in December, 1978- to make way for the Aberdeen Tunnel project. However, the government made available a site in Oi Kwan Road, Morrison Hill on which the Masjid Ammar and Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre opened in September 1981.

=

The Shelley Street Mosque, the first to be built in Hong Kong, dates back to the introduction of the Islamic faith in the 1880s. It was rebuilt in 1915.

Two places have been set aside by the government as burial grounds for Muslims. One is at Happy Valley and the other at Cape Collinson, Chai Wan.

The co-ordinating body for all religious affairs is the Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong. A board of trustees, comprising representatives of sections of the Muslim community, is responsible for the management and maintenance of 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, hospitalisation and assisted education, is conducted through various Muslim organisations in Hong Kong.

Hindu Community

The religious and social activities of the 10 000 members of Hong Kong's Hindu community are centred around the Hindu Temple at Happy Valley. The Hindu Association of Hong Kong is responsible for the upkeep of the temple, which also is used for meditation periods, yoga classes and teaching Hindi to the Indian community. Namings, engagements and marriages are performed at the temple according to Hindu customs. Religious music and recitals are performed every Sunday morning and Monday evening.

The Hindu Temple is frequently visited by swamis and learned men from overseas who give spiritual lectures to the community. A number of festivals are observed, the more important being the Holi Festival, the Birth of Lord Krishna, Shivaratri, Dussahara and Diwali.

Various linguistic groups amongst the Hindus organise additional festivals for the deities Hanuman, Devi and Ganesh, and conduct monthly bhajans for Skanda on Shashthis, the sixth day of the waxing fortnight. The Hindu community can trace its ties with Hong Kong back to early settlement.

Sikh Community

―

-

first 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 in Wan Chai. A special feature of