Chinese hatred of Islam

By Staff writer | Al Arabiya News
Wednesday, 2 July 2014

Muslims in China's Xinjiang region working as civil servants, students and teachers have been banned from fasting during the holy month of Ramadan on Wednesday.

The move has sparked condemnation from an exile group.

Xinjiang is a mainly Muslim region, home to the Uighur minority. For years China's ruling Communist party has restricted fasting in the region, which has seen sees regular and often deadly clashes between Uighurs and state security forces.

Beijing has blamed recent deadly attacks elsewhere in China on militants seeking independence for the resource-rich region.

According to Agence France-Presse, the state-run Bozhou Radio and TV university said on its website that it would "enforce the ban on party members, teachers, and young people from taking part in Ramadan activities."

"We remind everyone that they are not permitted to observe a Ramadan fast," it added.

A weather bureau in Qaraqash county in western Xinjiang said on its website that "in accordance with instructions from higher authorities", it "calls on all current and retired staff not to fast during Ramadan".

A state office which manages the Tarim River basin posted pictures of its staff wearing traditional Uighur "doppa" caps tucking into a group meal on Saturday.

"Although the meal coincided with the Muslim festival of Ramadan, the cadres who took part expressed a positive attitude and will lead the non-fasting," it said.

Meanwhile, the commercial affairs bureau of Turfan city said on its website Monday that "civil servants and students cannot take part in fasting and other religious activities."

China has in the past said that restrictions on fasting are meant to ensure the health of government employees, according to AFP.


Home inspections

The month of Ramadan began this weekend. During the holy month, the faithful fast from dawn to dusk and strive to be more pious.

On Monday, Chinese authorities reportedly encouraged Uighurs to eat free meals on Monday, and inspected homes to check if the fast was being observed, Dilxat Raxit, a spokesman for the exiled World Uyghur Congress, told AFP citing local sources.

"China taking these kind of coercive measures, restricting the faith of Uighurs, will create more conflict," he said.

"We call on China to ensure religious freedom for Uighurs and stop political repression of Ramadan."


Last Update: Wednesday, 2 July 2014 KSA 10:27 - GMT 07:27

Chinese authorities in the northwestern province of Xinjiang have banned Muslim officials and students from fasting during the month of Ramadan, prompting an exiled rights group to warn of new violence.

Guidance posted on numerous government websites called on Communist Party leaders to restrict Muslim religious activities during the holy month, including fasting and visiting mosques.

Xinjiang is home to about nine million Uighurs, largely a Muslim ethnic minority, many of whom accuse China's leaders of religious and political persecution.

The region has been rocked by repeated outbreaks of ethnic violence, but China denies claims of repression and relies on tens of thousands of Uighur officials to help it govern the province.

A statement from Zonglang township in Xinjiang's Kashgar district said that "the county committee has issued comprehensive policies on maintaining social stability during the Ramadan period.

"It is forbidden for Communist Party cadres, civil officials (including those who have retired) and students to participate in Ramadan religious activities."

The statement, posted on the Xinjiang government website, urged party leaders to bring "gifts" of food to local village leaders to ensure that they were eating during Ramadan.

Similar orders on curbing Ramadan activities were posted on other local government websites, with the educational bureau of Wensu county urging schools to ensure that students do not enter mosques during Ramadan.

'Administrative methods'

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and strive to be more closer to God, pious and charitable.

An exiled rights group, the World Uyghur Congress, warned the policy would force "the Uighur people to resist [Chinese rule] even further."

"By banning fasting during Ramadan, China is using administrative methods to force the Uighur people to eat in an effort to break the fasting," said group spokesman Dilshat Rexit in a statement.

Xinjiang saw its worst ethnic violence in recent times in July, 2009, when Uighurs attacked members of the nation's dominant Han ethnic group in the city of Urumqi, sparking clashes in which 200 people from both sides died, according to the government.