Mosques are being closed in China.
China has shocked Muslims around the world with one of its steps. In fact, China has started taking action to close mosques in Xinjiang and other cities. China suspects suspicious activities in these mosques. This step of China has created panic in Islamic countries around the world. However, no Muslim or non-Muslim country is able to muster the courage to say a single word or protest against this move of China. International human rights organizations there have expressed concern over this step of China. This strict action of China has created a stir among Muslims all over the world.
An international organization working in the field of human rights said in its report released on Wednesday that China is taking action to close mosques in areas other than Xinjiang. ‘Human Rights Watch’, working in the field of human rights, has given detailed information regarding the closure of mosques in its report. The report said authorities closed mosques in northern Ningxia and Gansu provinces. There is a majority of ‘Hui Muslims’ in these areas. Local authorities are also dismantling the architectural styles of mosques to make them appear “China”. In fact, the ruling Communist Party is waging a repressive campaign to tighten its control over religion and reduce the risk of potential challenges to its rule, and these types of activities regarding mosques are part of that campaign.
Many crimes against humanity took place in Xinjiang
In 2016, President Xi Jinping had called for bringing religions into line with China and initiated a crackdown on Xinjiang. More than 11 million Uyghur Muslims and other Muslim minorities live in that area. A UN report last year said China had committed “crimes against humanity” in Xinjiang, including building a network of extrajudicial detention camps. It is said that China has kept one million Uyghur, Hui, Kazakh and Kyrgyz people in these camps. According to Human Rights Watch, Chinese authorities have closed, demolished, or converted mosques for other uses in areas outside Xinjiang. However, China’s Foreign Ministry has not responded to the questions asked through ‘fax’ regarding this report.
Said- China is trying to control Islam
“The Chinese government is not strengthening mosques as it claims but is closing them, violating religious freedom,” said Maya Wang, acting China director for Human Rights Watch. Wang said, “The Chinese government’s closure, destruction and reconstruction of mosques is part of its systematic efforts to curb Islam in China.” Video and images posted online by researchers at the human rights group show that between 2019 and 2021 the authorities in Liaoqiao and Chuankou villages of Ningxia demolished the domes and minarets of all seven mosques and demolished the main buildings of three of them. The government reportedly wants to “strictly control the number of religious sites and has called for mosques to adopt Chinese architectural styles.” (AP)
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