ENG-1984 — Page 329

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RELIGION AND CUSTOM

handicapped, and 15 theological schools and Bible institutes. Health care is also an important field and the Protestant churches operate five major hospitals. These are augmented by many clinics, community health programmes and other health services including home visits by nurses.

Co-operative work among the Protestant churches is facilitated by two ecumenical bodies. These are the Chinese Christian Churches Union and the Hong Kong Christian Council. The former is the oldest, comprising around 200 individual congregations. Its work is carried out through departments of evangelism, Christian education, charities, infor- mation and cemeteries. The Churches Union publishes the newspaper Christian Weekly.

The Hong Kong Christian Council bases its membership on the major denominations plus ecumenical service bodies such as the Young Women's and Young Men's Christian Associations, the Hong Kong Bible Society and the Chinese Christian Literature Council. The Christian Council is committed to building closer relationships among all churches in Hong Kong as well as with churches overseas, and to stimulating local Christians to minister to the needs of the people. Its programmes are carried out through the Division of Mission, the Hong Kong Christian Service, the Communications Centre and the Christian Industrial Committee. Related service agencies include the United Christian Medical Service, the Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital and the Tao Fung Shan Ecumenical Centre. The council has continued the new Alternative Tours designed to give tourists and residents an opportunity to see the specific ways in which Christians serve the people.

The Protestant community has continued to enjoy a good relationship with the churches in China through the China Christian Council and the Three Self Movement. Christian leaders from China visited local church leaders on two occasions early in the year.

A delegation of 21 Protestant leaders from Hong Kong visited Peking in September, at the invitation of the Religious Affairs Bureau of the State Council. The exchange of publica- tions and the holding of informal meetings have continued and the Hong Kong Christian Council also organises visits by young Christians to Guangdong Province.

In the area of social concern, the Protestant community, through various committees, has played an active role in arousing public interest in matters relating to labour legislation, industrial safety, price increases and other similar subjects. For the 10th year, the Hong Kong Christian Council ran a campaign called Five Loaves and Two Fish which raised almost $1 million to provide emergency aid for the hungry in Asia and Africa.

Muslim Community

There are an estimated 50 000 Muslims in Hong Kong. More than half of them are Chinese with the rest being either locally born non-Chinese or believers from Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Middle Eastern and African countries. Three principal mosques are used daily for prayers. The oldest is the Jamia Mosque in Shelley Street on Hong Kong Island which was built before the turn of the century and rebuilt in 1915. It can accommodate a congregation of 400.

Also on Hong Kong Island is the Masjid Ammar and Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre. Opened in 1981, this eight-storey centre in Wan Chai houses a mosque on two floors, a community hall, a library, a medical clinic, classrooms and offices. The mosque can accommodate 700 people but when necessary this number can be increased to about 1 500 by using other available space within the centre.

Situated on what is sometimes called the ‘Golden Mile' in Nathan Road is the Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre which was opened in May 1984. This imposing building, with white marble finishing, is a new landmark in Tsim Sha Tsui. The mosque can accommodate