Hong Kong's Muslim and other faith communities gathered on Friday to pray and offer condolences for the victims of the Tai Po fire. About 4,000 Muslims held a special prayer session at Kowloon Mosque. The blaze killed at least 159 people, including Indonesian and Filipino domestic workers.
On Friday, about 4,000 Muslims in Hong Kong gathered at Kowloon Mosque in Tsim Sha Tsui for a special prayer session to mourn the victims of the Tai Po fire at Wang Fuk Court. The Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong organized the event at 1.30pm to pay respects to those affected.
The blaze killed at least 159 people, including nine Indonesian domestic helpers and one Filipino domestic worker. Chief Imam Mufti Muhammad Arshad urged unity in supporting the impacted residents and families. “The Muslim community is all in sadness and also we express our sorrow and condolence to the people of Hong Kong, to the government of Hong Kong and especially to the people who are the victims,” he said. “We show our solidarity with the people of Hong Kong.”
Arshad noted that the community is collecting funds to provide financial aid to victims' families and to arrange funeral prayers as well as repatriation of bodies to their home countries. Diplomats from Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar attended the prayer.
Meanwhile, other religious groups, including the Hong Kong Chinese Christian Churches Union and the Hong Kong Christian Council, held prayer meetings to offer spiritual support, highlighting the solidarity among Hong Kong's diverse faith communities in the face of tragedy.