WikimediaThe Huasi Mosque in the Gansu region of northern China
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 11:03
China has closed hundreds of mosques in the northern regions of Ningxia and Gansu. This is set by human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW). a critical report . Mosques are being demolished or dismantled by removing Islamic architectural features such as domes and minarets, the report said. This is contrary to the right to freedom of religion, HRW says.
Human Rights Watch analyzed satellite images, videos from the region and government reports to investigate the closure of mosques. The organization was unable to determine the exact number of mosques that have been closed or modified in recent years, but it is believed to be in the hundreds.
The closure and dismantling of mosques is part of broader efforts to push back Islam in China, the report said. The Chinese Communist Party has a tight grip on religious and ethnic minorities. Since President Xi Jinping called for the “Chineseization” of religions in 2016, the dismantling of mosques has increased.
By law, religion may only be practiced in officially approved places of worship of officially approved religions. The authorities exercise tight control over places of worship.
In April 2018, Beijing issued a guideline issued, which stated that government officials should “strictly control the construction and layout of sites for Islamic activities” and “adhere to the principle of more demolition and less construction.”
Satellite images
The Ningxia and Gansu regions are home to the largest number of Muslims in the country after the Xinjiang Autonomous Region. Researchers from the Universities of Plymouth and Manchester think according to The Guardian that 1,300 mosques have disappeared in Ningxia since 2020.
The mosque policy is not limited to Ningxia and Gansu. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute Darling that 65 percent of Xinjiang’s 16,000 mosques have been destroyed or dismantled since 2017.
The government is committing “serious human rights violations” in Xinjiang when it comes to the Uyghurs, the United Nations stated in August. Human Rights Watch found evidence of mass incarceration in “re-education camps,” torture and rape.
2023-11-22 10:03:08
#China #closes #hundreds #mosques #northern #regions
