Muhammad Haim Malik
Hong Kong’s only mosque inside a prison is poised to receive the city’s highest level of heritage protection under a government proposal as reported by the SCMP. Allah says in the Quran 24:36:
“[Such niches are] in houses [i.e., mosques] which Allah has ordered to be raised and that His name be mentioned [i.e., praised] therein; exalting Him within them in the morning and the evenings.”
In a paper submitted ahead of a board meeting recently, the Antiquities and Monuments Office recommended that the Stanley Mosque at Stanley Prison be declared a statutory monument. The building currently holds Grade 1 historic building status.
“Consent for the intended declaration has been obtained from the respective owners and management bodies.”
If endorsed by the board and approved by the chief executive, the Mosque would be declared a monument through publication in the Government Gazette, granting it permanent statutory protection.
The Stanley Mosque was constructed between 1936 and 1937 and is the city’s only mosque inside a prison, according to the paper.
It is one of just two surviving Islamic buildings constructed before the second world war.
It was built with the efforts and donations of Indian and Pakistani Muslim staff working for the Prisons Department, alongside members of Hong Kong’s wider Indian community.
“It stands as a testament to the growth of the Muslim community in Hong Kong and demonstrates the government’s respect for religious practices and its commitment to inclusivity among its staff,” the paper said.
Architecturally, the building was modelled on the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan, and is considered a rare example of its type in Hong Kong.
It features an arcaded facade with ornamental arches and minaret-like columns, although it lacks the traditional minarets found in many mosques.
Officials said the building had undergone only limited and reversible alterations since its construction.
