Hong Kong's chief imam celebrates city’s openness to multi-ethnic worshippers
Hong Kong's Muslim heritage dates back more than 160 years
Kowloon Mosque is quite a majestic structure at the end of Kowloon Park in Tsim Sha Tsui. The current mosque building has been there since 1984, but Hong Kong’s Muslim heritage stretches back more than 160 years. At the mosque, three sermons on a Friday cater to multi-ethnic worshippers.
“We have Asians including Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Indians as well as Africans and Arabs,” says the current chief imam for Hong Kong, Mufti Muhammad Arshad. Voted one of the world’s top 500 Muslims in 2009, Coming from Muslim dominiated Pakistan, Arshad says he delights in the number of nationalities he has come to know in Hong Kong and the mix of religions. “There is much more open-mindedness here,” he said. “Also I get the chance to travel!”
Arshad oversees a population of about 200,000 Muslims in Hong Kong.
Born in Multan in central Pakistan, Arhad’s father was also an imam. An award-winning student, Arshad went on to become the imam for the Pakistani armed forces after having studied Islamic studies at university. “So I started my career in the Pakistan army as an imam, so similar to a chaplain in the army. So I looked after the other imams and religious affairs.”
Arshad says he delights in the number of nationalities he has come to know in Hong Kong and the mix of religions
He then spent eight years as an imam in Pakistan’s air force before he learned of a vacancy for a senior imam in Hong Kong, moving here with his family in 2001.
His role involves the religious affairs at the mosque, but also social services for the different communities. Arshad also goes on halal inspections of restaurants. At the moment, he is also helping with organising airlines and ticketing for the Haj - or holy trip to Mecca - he with a group of 110 of different nationalities will be attending this year.