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Since the Islamic holy month of Ramadan began on March 2, Hong Kong’s Muslim community has been deep in prayer.
On a rainy Saturday in Tsim Sha Tsui, as Kowloon Mosque bustled with worshippers, a group of more than a dozen people stood off to the side, observing silently. They were part of a tour organised by the Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI), a charity that looks to combat societal issues and support ethnically diverse communities in Hong Kong.
The tour sought to educate the group about Ramadan with trips to the mosque and Mirador Mansion, where people could learn more about the city’s ethnic minority small business owners.
According to Adnan Riaz, FSI’s community business support programme associate who ran the tour, these visits are a form of community outreach, “not only for the sake of small businesses but also for the community to have a better understanding of ethnic diversity, ethnic economy in Hong Kong”.
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Supporting the community
Mohammad Abdul Rehman was born and raised in Hong Kong. A practising Muslim, the 18-year-old student at the University of Hong Kong chose to intern at FSI because he “felt a deep connection to their work with ethnic minorities”.
Mohammad explained that the organisation works with a number of Muslim business owners and that “Ramadan really affects their business performance.”
This is because prayer and fasting are major parts of Ramadan. Those observing Ramadan fast from dawn to dusk. In Hong Kong, they might not eat or drink for around 12 hours.
Mohammad said South Asian restaurants have less business during Ramadan because of fasting.
That’s why one goal of the tour was to tell people outside the South Asian community about these local businesses so they could support them during Ramadan.
“We wanted to promote more of Muslim culture in Hong Kong,” Mohammad said.
One person the group met on their tour was Rustam Khan, who moved to Hong Kong from Pakistan in 1980. He is the CEO of Chinese Custom Tailor in Tsim Sha Tsui’s Mirador Mansion.
Khan, a practising Muslim, told the group how this period of fasting teaches him many important virtues, such as patience and the ability to adapt to new situations.
“As a Muslim, we have a very strong culture. And with the strong culture, you can adapt [for] a month,” he said. “People think it’s too long. Believe me, it’s not. It’s really easy, because it’s how we maintain our day.”
Understanding and tolerance
Mohammad is in his first year at HKU. He admitted that staying on top of classes and assignments during Ramadan could be tough.
During this time, people wake up early to eat and pray before the sun rises and they begin their fast.
“You have to adapt to waking up at 4am and then sleeping again, just for a couple hours, and then waking up for uni again,” Mohammad said.
“It’s really difficult. I’ve skipped many classes already, unfortunately ... We don’t get enough sleep, but it’s all about how you manage it.”
Riaz said that non-Muslim communities can support Muslims during Ramadan by “fostering understanding and tolerance”.
He went on: “Teachers and coaches in schools around Hong Kong should deepen their understanding of Ramadan and respect and support their Muslim students and athletes.”
One way for schools to show support is simply to provide space. Mohammad is grateful that his university has a prayer room for him and his peers to gather during Ramadan.
“All the Muslims gather there at lunchtime. We pray; we connect together,” he said. “Having the prayer room helps a lot ... it’s always more blessed if you pray together.”
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