An Indonesian Humanitarian Reveals Condition of Muslim Xinjiang, China

Bekasi, MINA – An Indonesian humanitarian organization revealed a number of irregularities that occurred in Xinjiang Province after a 30-day trip in the densely populated Muslim region.

According to Azzam Mujahid Izzulhaq a number of facts on the ground show the efforts of Chinese Regime to weaken Islam in Xinjiang and other provinces.

Discrimination by the Chinese Government, he explained was not only experienced by Uyghur Muslims but also other ethnic groups who are Muslim. Although not as hard as experienced by Uyghur Muslims, other ethnic Muslims also began to feel pressure.

“It shows that there is an effort to weaken Islam in a structured manner,” he stressed while filling the Islamic World Study “Story of a 30-Day Journey in Xinjiang China” at the Silaturahim Mosque, Bekasi on Sunday.

A number of the mosques he visited in Xinjiang were not as busy as when he first visited in 2018. In fact, from the 200,000 mosques in Xinjiang, now only have dozens left. The rest of them are turning into other buildings.

The remaining mosque must also be changed from its distinctive Arabian architecture to its Chinese culture. The mosques also cannot read Arabic.

“The Yaxing children’s school in Gansu, which used to memorize the Qur’an in its curriculum, is no longer available,” he said, who had visited Islamic Boarding School.

The Yaxing school guard secretly revealed to him the reason of disappearance of a number of Islamic symbols in the Hui-owned school.

“Memorizing the Quran is a problem in this school. What we can do? Because if we protest, we are afraid of being yelled, “he said, quoting the statement of the school guard.

Azzam added that the mosque in Yaxing was converted into a dance hall and there was a piano in it. When it is time for prayer there should be no prayer in congregation.

According to him, the change in attitude of Chinese regime became very repressive towards Muslims, especially the Uyghurs, starting in 2016. This was caused, he added, because of Chinese concerns about the strengthening of Islam in China.

“China does not want to experience the situation that is happening now in the UK which has begun to provide many opportunities for Muslims to occupy a number of positions in government,” he explained.

China wants to impose communist ideology on all its citizens. Discrimination experienced by Muslims is also experienced by other religious communities such as Christians and Buddhists.

“Christians are no longer free to put up Christmas trees in their homes,” he explained.

At the end of the study, Azzam invited worshipers of the Silaturahim Mosque to continue to provide support to Muslims in China by helping to spread the facts of their persecution and by strengthening one another’s souls and continuing to pray. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)