Islam in China

Source : Agencies | 25 Mar 2013

As the Chinese government increases its repressive regulations on East Turkestan, a new regulation has further increased tension.

The administration has lately issued a circulation decreeing that Chinese flags be hung at mosques and that the flags be protected by the mosque imams tied to the Communist Party. As mandated in the circulars, flagpoles were erected at all mosques and flags were hung.

By P.K. Abdul Ghafour | Arab News | 07 Jul 2012

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) organized an international conference in Beijing recently, highlighting the long-standing history and cooperation between China and the Muslim world.

The conference titled “China and the Muslim World: Cultural Encounters” discussed topics such as the historical relations between China and the Muslim world, China and the Muslim World in global context, as well as topics related to art and culture.

Source : OnIslam | Beijing | 20 Jun 2012

China has launched a new campaign to search houses of Uighur Muslims in the north-western Xinjiang province, a move as a new sign of religious and cultural repression of the sizable minority.

"According to arrangements made by relevant departments at higher levels, our joint residential police bureaus will be inspecting all buildings in residential and family compounds," said a police notice posted in Hetian's Gujiangbage quarter cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Source : Agencies | 06 Jun 2012

Chinese police said it raided a Koran-teaching school in Uighur region, China state media said on Wednesday, in what an exiled rights group said was a violent raid.

China media said, police "rescued 54 children from illegal preachers".

However, a German-based Uighur exile group, the World Uyghur Congress, said police had used teargas to attack an Islamic school teaching children the Koran.

By : Abdul Hannan Tago | Arab News | Riyadh 01 Jun 2012

The Chinese government pursues a policy of “ethnic equality and religious freedom” under which Muslims enjoy equal rights and share in the harmonious sunshine of the Chinese socialist family, the vice president and secretary-general of China Islamic Association told representatives of the Arab media during a meeting at his office in China recently.

Source : AFP | Beijing | 02 Jan 2011

Hundreds of Muslims fought with armed police who demolished a mosque in China's northwest, local police and a human rights group said on Monday, with several people injured in the "riot".

The violence between local Muslims and roughly 1,000 armed police began after police declared illegal a newly built mosque in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and moved to destroy it, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy, in Hong Kong, said.

By OnIslam & News Agencies | Yinchuan | 18 Oct 2011

Fulfilling one of Islam's main pillars, hundreds of Chinese Muslims from northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region embarked on the life-time spiritual journey of hajj on Monday, October 17.

"The Makkah pilgrimage is my biggest hope in my life," 66-year-old Ma Zhuangyu told Xinhua news agency.

“But I could not afford the trip in the past due to financial reasons.”

Zhuangyu was one of the first group of pilgrims in Ningxia who will go to Makkah on a government-organized trip this year.

Source : Anadolu Agency
Guangzhou | 25 Aug 2011

Chinese Muslims gather in the Great Mosque of Guangzhou for fast-breaking dinner every evening.

Hundreds of Muslims from several nations have their fast-breaking dinner at the Great Mosque of Guangzhou, known also as Huaisheng Mosque (Memorial of the Holy Prophet).

Rebuilt many times over its history, Huaisheng Mosque is traditionally thought to have been originally built over 1,300 years ago, which would make it one of the oldest mosques in the world. It was named in memory of Prophet Muhammad.

Source : The Guardian
Hotan : China | 22 Aug 2011

Vinegar tainted with antifreeze is suspected of killing 11 people and making a further 120 ill after a communal Ramadan meal in China's far western region of Xinjiang.

Investigators suspect the victims consumed vinegar that was put in two plastic barrels that had previously been used to store toxic antifreeze, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Source : Eurasia Review
BEIJING | 12 Aug 2011

China is placing restrictions on its Muslim Uyghur population during the fasting month of Ramadan, following a string of violent attacks in its northwestern region of Xinjiang.

Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress, said Ramadan, which runs roughly from Aug. 1 to 30 this year, has brought a fresh clampdown on Muslims in the wake of violent attacks in the Silk Road cities of Kashgar and Hotan.