Islam is practiced in Hong Kong by about 250,000 Muslims.[1] About 10,000 of the Muslim families in Hong Kong are 'local boy' families, Muslims of mixed Chinese and South Asian ancestry descended from early Muslim South Asian immigrants who took local Chinese wives and brought their children up as Muslims.[2][3] Hui Muslims from China also played a role in the development of Islam in Hong Kong, such as Kasim Tuet of Guangzhou, one of the pioneers of Muslim education in the city, for who the Islamic Kasim Tuet Memorial College is named.[4] In recent years the largest number of Muslims in the territory are Indonesian. Mostly female foreign domestic workers they account for over 120,000 of Hong Kong's Muslim population.[5]
Masjids [edit]
Five principal masjids (mosques) are used daily for prayers. The oldest is the Shelley Street Masjid on Hong Kong Island, which was built in the 1840s and rebuilt in 1915. The First Imam (Scholer)was 'Al Haaj Abul Habib Syed Mohammed Noor Shah' 1914 to 1946 'Bold text' The Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre in Nathan Road, opened in 1984, can accommodate about 3,500 worshippers. The Masjid and Islamic Centre at Oi Kwan Road in Wan Chai was opened in September 1981 and can accommodate a congregation of 700 to 1 500 people depend on requirement. The other two masjids locate at the Cape Collinson Muslim Cemetery and the Stanley Prison.
Maulana Qari Muhammad Tayaib Qasmi is an Islamic scholar who has lived in Hong Kong since 1989. He served as a Chief Imam and Khateeb of Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre, Hong Kong. He is currently running seven large Islamic Centres throughout Hong Kong, Under the name of Khatme Nubuwwat Islamic Council, giving free after-school Quranic education to over 1,500 students including adult students as well as young boys and girls, who study full time in local schools in Hong Kong.
Organisations [edit]
The Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong co-ordinates religious affairs and manages masjid and Muslim cemeteries in Hong Kong. The constituent bodies of the trustees are the Islamic Union of Hong Kong, the Pakistan Association, the Indian Muslim Association and the Dawoodi Bohra Association. Charitable work among the Muslim community, including financial aid to the needy, medical care, educational assistance, the provision of an Islamic kindergarten and assistance for the aged, is conducted through various Muslim organisations in Hong Kong.
The Islamic Cultural Association (Hong Kong) (Chinese: 香港伊斯蘭文化協會; pinyin: Xiānggǎng Yīsīlán Wénhuà Xiéhuì; Cantonese Yale: Hēunggóng Yīsīlàahn Màhnfa Hihpwuih) was formed in 2004 and became a government-approved charitable institution (File Number: 91/10103). The association is devoted to the promotion of Islamic culture with Quran & Sunnah as its core. To promote exchanges between Islamic culture and other cultures. To enhance research & development of Islamic education and Islamic culture.[6] In 2009, they co-organised the International Conference on Transmission of Islamic Culture and Education in China 「中國伊斯蘭文化與教育的傳承」國際研討會 in cooperation with the Centre for the Study of Religion and Chinese Society of the Chinese University of Hong Kong's Chung Chi College. ICA's major scope of work includes Academic Research, Education, Culture and Charity. Since 2009, The Islamic Cultural Association has participated the Hong Kong Book Fair organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, is one of Asia's largest book fair.
The Hong Kong Islamic Youth Association - HKIYA (香港伊斯蘭青年協會) is a charitable organization founded in 1973. It has been organizing recreational and educational activities for local Muslim youth. The association started the Online Video Channel (OVC) on its Youtube channel (HKIYA1973) in 2012 which provides Da'wah (Islamic preaching) programs in Cantonese updated every week. The first locally developed smart phone App - "IslamHK" was launched on 21 August 2012 by HKIYA and this marked the milestone of modern Da'wah (Islamic preaching).
IFSA.ORG.HK is the first to organize Quranic Competitions between Hong Kong Boys and girls, and made Quranic awareness between Muslim youth as well as the whole community. www.ifsa.org.hk
References [edit]
- ^ "China (includes Tibet, Hong Kong, Macau)", International Religious Freedom Report, Washington, DC: United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, 2009, retrieved 2010-08-09
- ^ Weiss, Anita M. (July 1991), "South Asian Muslims in Hong Kong: Creation of a 'Local Boy' Identity", Modern Asian Studies 25 (3): 417–53, doi:10.1017/S0026749X00013895
- ^ Bosco, Joseph (2004), "Hong Kong", in Ember, Melvin; Ember, Carol R.; Skoggard, Ian, Encyclopedia of Diasporas: Immigrant and Refugee Cultures Around the World, Volume 2, Springer, pp. 506–514, ISBN 978-0-306-48321-9
- ^ Wang Ma, Rosey (2004), "Hui diaspora", in Ember, Melvin; Ember, Carol R.; Skoggard, Ian, Encyclopedia of Diasporas: Immigrant and Refugee Cultures Around the World, Volume 2, Springer, pp. 113–124, ISBN 978-0-306-48321-9
- ^ O'Connor, Paul (2012), "Islam in Hong Kong: Muslims and Everyday Life in China's World City", Hong Kong University Press.
- ^ About us, Hong Kong: Islamic Cultural Association, 2008, retrieved 2010-08-10
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