Ramadan: how Hong Kong’s police officers cope while fasting during the Muslim holy month
- Constable Adnan Mohammed once arrested a suspect just as it was time to break his fast, saying refraining from food and water from sunrise to sunset does not hinder his ability to catch criminals
- But he says sometimes work can get in way of observing the five daily prayers at their fixed times
For policeman Adnan Mohammad, working in March and April means patrolling the streets of Hong Kong’s Yau Ma Tei without food or water throughout the day.
Mohammad is observing Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar when Muslims do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. This year, the holy month is expected to span from March 12 to early April.
The young officer said fasting did not hinder his ability to catch criminals, recalling an incident from last year when, despite refraining from food and water all day, he arrested a suspect just as it was time to break his fast at sunset.
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“The sergeant asked me to grab some food first [after the arrest], but I said I needed to finish the paperwork first,” he said. “I ended up having some light bites before finishing the work.”
Mohammad, who is of Pakistani descent, is among the more than 150 members of the city’s police force from an ethnic minority background. While he has decided to continue his duties as usual, the force has said it offers Muslim members flexible work arrangements to accommodate their needs during Ramadan.
“Depending on their needs, we will provide suitable aid at work for [colleagues who are fasting],” said Hung Ka-wai, a police community relations officer on ethnic minority support in Yau Tsim Mong district.
A senior officer familiar with the arrangements said that staff could pray in police stations where they worked, with rooms converted to prayer spaces.
Constable Salma Bibi, 24, has decided to work in the report room of Wong Tai Sin during the holy month, as it will be less physically demanding than her usual patrols.
“Officers were aware that I had to fast, that is why they arranged for me to work in the report room. I think I can still contribute to the force,” Bibi said.
Even with the adjustments, Bibi and Mohammad said that sometimes work would still get in the way of their religious commitments. For instance, they might have to perform some of their five daily prayers all at once to make up for those they missed while on duty.
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The pair are, however, determined to act as a bridge between cultures at work.
Being bilingual and Muslim, officers such as Mohammad and Bibi are often asked to take up translation tasks. At times, they clarify cultural misunderstandings rather than just surmount language barriers.
Mohammad said he once had to explain to a Chinese Hongkonger who had called police to report groups of people gathering in front of the Kowloon Mosque that there was no risk of violence and that the crowds were there to have their fast-breaking meal.
Sometimes, some residents might even doubt Mohammad’s ability to carry out his work.
“I just tell them that we are all humans, let’s respect each other. My colleagues will also explain to them that I also know Chinese and can communicate with them just like anyone else,” the constable said.
Mohammad and Bibi have previously taken part in police’s Project Gemstone outreach scheme, where ethnic minority youths aged between 15 to 25 are eligible for weekly Chinese classes and other activities to introduce them to the force.
“We hope to boost their Chinese language so they can get the dream job they wish for,” Hung said.
The scheme currently has more than 800 participants, while 51 past members have joined the city’s disciplined services, including the police force, the Correctional Services Department, the Fire Services Department and the Customs and Excise Department.
