Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre

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The Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre, also known as the Kowloon Mosque, is a large mosque in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It sits at 105 Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, beside Kowloon Park. It is the largest mosque in Hong Kong, hosting five prayers daily and able to accommodate up to 3,500 worshipers. The main prayer hall holds about 1,000 people, and there is a women’s prayer hall on the upper floor topped by a 5-meter diameter, 9-meter-high dome.

History
The mosque was first established in 1896 by the Hong Kong Regiment to serve Indian Muslim troops stationed nearby. In the late 1970s, underground construction for the Mass Transit Railway caused structural problems. With compensation from the MTR and donations from the local Muslim community, a new mosque was built and opened on 11 May 1984 at the present site.

Architecture and features
Designed by I. M. Kadri, the building features four 11-meter minarets at the corners and extensive white marble. It has three prayer halls, a community hall, a medical clinic, and a library. The main prayer hall is on the first floor; a separate women’s hall on the upper floor is surrounded by a terrace and crowned by the dome.

Community and leadership
Since 2001, Mufti Muhammad Arshad has served as the chief imam of the mosque and Hong Kong. He teaches Arabic, delivers Friday sermons in Urdu, English and Arabic, and oversees fatwas and Quranic maktabs. He also teaches at Hong Kong Baptist University and was named one of the world’s 500 most influential Muslim leaders in 2009. The mosque has hosted many notable scholars from around the world, and Dr. Zakir Naik (a trustee) runs several Islamic centers in Hong Kong offering free Quranic education to about 1,500 students.

Location and access
The mosque is close to exit A1 of Tsim Sha Tsui station and is connected to East Tsim Sha Tsui by underground walkways. A large bus stop outside serves routes to Kowloon, the New Territories and the Hong Kong Airport. Vendors selling South Asian items at Chungking Mansions are opposite the mosque.

2019 incident
On 20 October 2019, a Hong Kong police water cannon sprayed blue dye at the Islamic Centre, injuring more than 10 people. The police apologized to the mosque and community leaders the next day. Carrie Lam met with mosque leaders to apologize on behalf of the government. A later incident noted a female senior superintendent entering the centre without wearing a hijab, drawing criticism.