Wan Chai Mosque visit
Date: Oct 27 (Sun), 2019
Time: 4.00 p.m.-7.00 p.m.
Quota per visit: 30
Address: Masjid Ammar & Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre, 40 Oi Kwan Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong.
Time: 4.00 p.m.-7.00 p.m.
Quota per visit: 30
Address: Masjid Ammar & Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre, 40 Oi Kwan Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong.
Programme and remarks
4.00 p.m.-4.45 p.m. Welcome and presentation by the Islamic Union of Hong Kong
4.45 p.m.- 5.30 p.m. Centre tour—where you can learn about the daily operation, facilities, and prayer rooms in the Wan Chai Mosque.
5.30 p.m.-7.00 p.m. Prayer session and Q&A
You will have the chance to tour around the compact but multi-functional Mosque and learn about their daily operation, facilities and prayer rooms. You will also need to perform ablution (wash your arms, face, ears and feet) and get a taste of what a prayer session is inside the Mosque.
4.00 p.m.-4.45 p.m. Welcome and presentation by the Islamic Union of Hong Kong
4.45 p.m.- 5.30 p.m. Centre tour—where you can learn about the daily operation, facilities, and prayer rooms in the Wan Chai Mosque.
5.30 p.m.-7.00 p.m. Prayer session and Q&A
You will have the chance to tour around the compact but multi-functional Mosque and learn about their daily operation, facilities and prayer rooms. You will also need to perform ablution (wash your arms, face, ears and feet) and get a taste of what a prayer session is inside the Mosque.
Islam in Hong Kong: A brief history and the current situation
It was the British colonial relationship with India, merchant sailing, and the opium trade that provided ground for the formation of Hong Kong’s first Muslim community in the 1850s by the seamen and traders from India. In the end of the nineteenth century, more and more Indians in Hong Kong were serving in the army, police force and prison service, whose population outnumbered the original community of sailor and merchants. Some of the police officers settled permanently in the colony and eventually brought up their children who could be known as the “local Indians” being born, raised, and educated in Hong Kong. By that time, the Muslims preserved close ties with India and continued to observe their religious rites.[1]
The Indian Muslim Association of Hong Kong in the early days (photo retrieved from www.islam.org.hk)
Not long after World War II, the partition and the creation of Pakistan took place almost at the same time when India achieved independence in 1947. The decolonization of India also altered the policies of the British government in the recruitment of police force and prison guards; and by 1961, the expatriate recruitment of Pakistani Muslims finally ceased. [2] The South Asian Muslims transformed their roles in society and had contributed significantly to Hong Kong’s prosperity as working class.
Besides South Asians, it should be noted that the Chinese Muslims, Africans, and Indonesians also constitute a sizable Muslim population in Hong Kong. The Chinese Muslims (Hui), whose ancestors might have lived in China several generations ago, are racially and ethnically indistinguishable from Han Chinese, and their interests are well represented by the Islamic Union of Hong Kong.[3] In addition, it was reported that the African Muslim community in Hong Kong has been gradually growing and some of them are running small fraternity-based mosques in rooms of any apartment or residential block.[4] Also, one should not ignore the large fluid population of Indonesian foreign domestic workers who gather every week in the large parks (e.g. the Victoria Park, the Kowloon Park), dressing up in their Sunday’s best, singing and dancing in groups, and occasionally making prayers.[5] All in all, government statistics for the year of 2009 reported that more than 220,000 Muslims were residing in the territory. To know more about the religion in Hong Kong, please watch the video “Islam in HK,” four parts in total, produced by Marc Tan as a project for a university course in Hong Kong Baptist University, 2008. The videos were uploaded by the Islamic Union of Hong Kong YouTube channel.
Besides South Asians, it should be noted that the Chinese Muslims, Africans, and Indonesians also constitute a sizable Muslim population in Hong Kong. The Chinese Muslims (Hui), whose ancestors might have lived in China several generations ago, are racially and ethnically indistinguishable from Han Chinese, and their interests are well represented by the Islamic Union of Hong Kong.[3] In addition, it was reported that the African Muslim community in Hong Kong has been gradually growing and some of them are running small fraternity-based mosques in rooms of any apartment or residential block.[4] Also, one should not ignore the large fluid population of Indonesian foreign domestic workers who gather every week in the large parks (e.g. the Victoria Park, the Kowloon Park), dressing up in their Sunday’s best, singing and dancing in groups, and occasionally making prayers.[5] All in all, government statistics for the year of 2009 reported that more than 220,000 Muslims were residing in the territory. To know more about the religion in Hong Kong, please watch the video “Islam in HK,” four parts in total, produced by Marc Tan as a project for a university course in Hong Kong Baptist University, 2008. The videos were uploaded by the Islamic Union of Hong Kong YouTube channel.
YouTube video - Islam in Hong Kong (part 1)
Visiting the Mosques
The website of the Islamic Union of Hong Kong (IUHK) presents five major Mosques in Hong Kong, such as the Chai Wan Mosque in the remote hills and the Shelly Street Mosque in Central. In this semester we will have the chance to visit two other important mosques—the Wan Chai Mosque (Masjid Ammar & Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre) and the Kowloon Mosque (Jamiathe Masjid).
The Shelly Street Mosque (left) and the Wan Chai Mosque (right)
(photos retrieved from http://www.iuhk.org/ and http://www.islamictrusthk.org/)
(photos retrieved from http://www.iuhk.org/ and http://www.islamictrusthk.org/)
The Kowloon Mosque stands distinctly on the busy Nathan Road surrounded by commercial buildings. The most prominent feature of the building is the four 11-meter high minarets which mark the corners of the upper terrace. Inside the mosque you can find three prayer halls, a community hall, a medical clinic and a library. The main prayer hall on the first floor can accommodate up to one thousand people; a smaller prayer hall on the upper floor is available for women.
The Wan Chai Mosque, opened in 1981, is not simply a mosque but a multi-functional center that houses prayer halls for males and females, a restaurant, library, kindergarten, and several institutions. In contrast to the other four mosques, the Wan Chai Mosque does not bear a distinguishable Islamic architecture and appear s to be one tall building perfectly blended in with the typically compact urban landscape where one can find an ordinary neighborhood with four schools, one public health clinic, one swimming pool complex, and a public playground. A scholar describes, “it is also the most diversely multicultural and unisex of all of Hong Kong Islam’s institutions.” For more information, please browse: http://www.iuhk.org/index.php/others/masjid-in-hong-kong
The Wan Chai Mosque, opened in 1981, is not simply a mosque but a multi-functional center that houses prayer halls for males and females, a restaurant, library, kindergarten, and several institutions. In contrast to the other four mosques, the Wan Chai Mosque does not bear a distinguishable Islamic architecture and appear s to be one tall building perfectly blended in with the typically compact urban landscape where one can find an ordinary neighborhood with four schools, one public health clinic, one swimming pool complex, and a public playground. A scholar describes, “it is also the most diversely multicultural and unisex of all of Hong Kong Islam’s institutions.” For more information, please browse: http://www.iuhk.org/index.php/others/masjid-in-hong-kong
Religious practices: prayer, halal food, fasting, and pilgrimage
There are five basic observances that all practicing Muslims should follow—(i) the Declaration of Faith, (ii) the prayer (Salah), (iii) the compulsory charity (Zakah), (iv) the fast of Ramadan (Sawm), and (v) the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj). For more information, please read “What is Islam” explained on the website IslamReligion.com at https://www.islamreligion.com/articles/6/viewall/what-is-islam/
A prayer session inside the Kowloon Mosque (photo retrieved from www.scmp.com/)
The most identifiable religious practices by Hong Kong Muslims include prayer (Salah), halal food, fasting during Ramadan (Sawm) and pilgrimage (Hajj). Muslims need to make prayer five times a day—the first round at dawn, second round midday, third round afternoon, fourth round at sunset, and fifth round at night. A daily prayer begins with the call to prayer followed by a series of recitations from the Qur’an, with bowing and prostrations toward the direction of the city Mecca. And Muslims also have the obligation to preserve a halal diet which means that the believers have to avoid alcohol, pork or even pork oil in every meal. The IUHK has recently certified 71 halal outlets in Hong Kong which are believed to have treated their food properly (check: http://www.iuhk.org/images/Halah-Food/Halal-List_en.pdf).
But in practice, the Muslims in Hong Kong are surrounded by a culinary culture of Chinese food that cherished pork heavily. They are facing different challenges in keeping their halal diet. Can they eat in McDonald’s? Which McDonald’s set is safe to consume? Can they eat with non-Muslim friends who are having pork in their food next to them? The interpretation of “halal food” varies among Muslims. To know more about the challenges that the Hong Kong Muslims are facing, please read “Daily practice” and “The ambiguity of halal food in Hong Kong” written by Paul O’Connor in his book Islam in Hong Kong assigned as suggested further reading below.
But in practice, the Muslims in Hong Kong are surrounded by a culinary culture of Chinese food that cherished pork heavily. They are facing different challenges in keeping their halal diet. Can they eat in McDonald’s? Which McDonald’s set is safe to consume? Can they eat with non-Muslim friends who are having pork in their food next to them? The interpretation of “halal food” varies among Muslims. To know more about the challenges that the Hong Kong Muslims are facing, please read “Daily practice” and “The ambiguity of halal food in Hong Kong” written by Paul O’Connor in his book Islam in Hong Kong assigned as suggested further reading below.
Ebeneezer's in HKU campus is a halal restaurant (photo retrieved from http://www.cedars.hku.hk/)
Fasting is observed in the holy month of Ramadan (ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar) every year. As the Qur’an reads, “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may (learn) self-restraint.” (Al-Baqarah:183), the fast man shall abstain from any food and water from sunrise to sunset in obedience to Allah, the God. Muslims believe that fasting makes one feel grateful to the divinely blessed food after the temporary deprivation of such. To see how an Muslim explains Ramadhan, please read “Fasting in the month of Ramadhan” by Abdul Muhaemin Karim at:
http://www.iuhk.org/index.php/publication/articles/10-publication/articles/132-fasting-in-the-month-of-ramadhan
http://www.iuhk.org/index.php/publication/articles/10-publication/articles/132-fasting-in-the-month-of-ramadhan
The Hajj, which means a pilgrimage to Mecca, is very important to Muslims. Muhammad the Prophet said, “One prayer in this mosque of mine (Madinah) is better than 1,000 prayers offered anywhere else except the Sacred Mosque (al-Masjid al-Haram), and one prayer in the Sacred Mosque is better than a 100,000 prayers offered in any other mosque.” For one prayer in the Sacred Mosque shall weigh as heavy as 100,000 prayers in Muslims’ heart, the city of Mecca is known as the most beloved place of Allah, where Muhammad was born and spent the early days of his life. To learn more about Hajj, please read “The city of Makkah al-Mukarramah” at http://www.iuhk.org/index.php/publication/articles/10-publication/articles/195-the-city-of-makkah-al-mukarramah
Please also watch a brief introduction of the pilgrimage to Mecca produced by National Geographic, and a 14-min documentary “World’s Largest Pilgrimage—Hajj Documentary” produced by VICE where Suroosh Alvi reported what he saw in the pilgrimage to Mecca with his Muslim parents.
Please also watch a brief introduction of the pilgrimage to Mecca produced by National Geographic, and a 14-min documentary “World’s Largest Pilgrimage—Hajj Documentary” produced by VICE where Suroosh Alvi reported what he saw in the pilgrimage to Mecca with his Muslim parents.
YouTube video: Mecca produced by National Geographic
YouTube video: “World’s Largest Pilgrimage—Hajj Documentary” produced by VICE
[1] O’Connor, Islam in Hong Kong, 23-5.
[2] O’Connor, Islam in Hong Kong, 29.
[3] O’ Connor, Islam in Hong Kong, 23,31.
[4] O’Connor, Islam in Hong Kong, 32.
[5] O’Connor, Islam in Hong Kong, 45.
[2] O’Connor, Islam in Hong Kong, 29.
[3] O’ Connor, Islam in Hong Kong, 23,31.
[4] O’Connor, Islam in Hong Kong, 32.
[5] O’Connor, Islam in Hong Kong, 45.
Suggested further reading
IslamReligion.com, “What is Islam” (all four parts). Available at https://www.islamreligion.com/articles/6/viewall/what-is-islam/
O’Connor, Paul. Islam in Hong Kong: Muslims and Everyday Life in China’s World City, 85-113. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2012.
O’Connor, Paul. Islam in Hong Kong: Muslims and Everyday Life in China’s World City, 85-113. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2012.
O'Connor. Daily Practice.pdf | |
File Size: | 383 kb |
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O'Connor. Halal Food.pdf | |
File Size: | 452 kb |
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Online resource
The Islamic Union of Hong Kong website: http://www.iuhk.org/index.php/
The Islamic Union of Hong Kong YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8a-snCiQqo1yPCJyB8a7gA
The Religion of Islam website: https://www.islamreligion.com/
The Islamic Union of Hong Kong YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8a-snCiQqo1yPCJyB8a7gA
The Religion of Islam website: https://www.islamreligion.com/
References
O’Connor, Paul. Islam in Hong Kong: Muslims and Everyday Life in China’s World City. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2012.