Haji Mustafa said the board rejected their application for approval for a 2,400 sq ft mosque in the village of Lo Uk after elected village representative Tang Kwei-yau lodged an objection.

Haji Mustafa said district councillors had told him they could do nothing to help if indigenous villagers objected.

Elected resident representative in the village Lo Kwai-ki said the government had sent him copies of the application for the mosque and a nearby Islamic community canteen asking for comment.

'Of course, most of the villagers were opposed because this is a traditional Chinese village and we don't know what they are doing inside their mosque,' Mr Lo said. 'There are more and more people going to the mosque at night and in the morning.

'Their praying noise is annoying. Residents can't sleep. This is especially bad during some of their festivals, which are unknown to us.

'They reapplied last month. We sent our objection as usual,' Mr Lo said. 'More residents expressed concern. Some worried about more strangers coming around and potential for crime.'

He admitted there had been no crimes committed by members of the Islamic community. 'This is not racial discrimination,' he said.

The land on which the mosque and canteen stands is largely rented from indigenous villagers. Many members of the Islamic community, mostly of Pakistani origin, have lived in the district for decades.

S.J. Raghbi, chairman of the Pakistani Traders Association, said: 'One of the beauties of Hong Kong is that it is a multiracial society where people can believe and practise what they want as long as it does not harm others.'

Muslim community leaders and the imam of the mosque, Hafiz Ghulam Fareed, deny claims of noise and disruption. They take offence at the suggestion that worshippers might be the cause of crime.

'Our holy day is Friday and at noon prayers that day we might have up to 200 people,' he said.

'But the rest of the time, when Muslims obey their religious duties and pray five times a day, there are usually only about 10 or 20 people, most of whom live or work nearby.'

Yuen Long District Council chairman Tang Sui-tong said he has 'no problem' with the canteen. 'I am not clear on the mosque. But you can see that things aren't very compatible. The culture is different.'

Yuen Long District Council deputy chairman Leung Che-hung said villagers 'didn't want it [the mosque] in the middle of the village. Maybe if it was moved to the fringes it would be all right'.