Share this @internewscast.com

The Chinese government has expanded its campaign of closing mosques to regions other than Xinjiang, where for years it has been blamed for persecuting Muslim minorities, according to a Human Rights Watch report released Wednesday.

Authorities have closed mosques in the northern Ningxia region as well as Gansu province, which are home to large populations of Hui Muslims, as part of a process known officially as “consolidation,” according to the report, which draws on public documents, satellite images and witness testimonies.

Local authorities also have been removing architectural features of mosques to make them look more “Chinese,” part of a campaign by the ruling Communist Party to tighten control over religion and reduce the risk of possible challenges to its rule.

President Xi Jinping in 2016 called for the “Sinicization” of religions, initiating a crackdown that has largely concentrated on the western region of Xinjiang, home to more than 11 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities.

A United Nations report last year found China may have committed “crimes against humanity” in Xinjiang, including through its construction of a network of extrajudicial internment camps believed to have held at least 1 million Uyghurs, Huis, Kazakhs and Kyrgyz.

Chinese authorities have decommissioned, closed down, demolished or converted mosques for secular use in regions outside Xinjiang as part of a campaign aimed at cracking down on religious expression, according to Human Rights Watch.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately answer faxed questions seeking comment on the report and its official policies toward Muslim minorities.

One of the first known references to “mosque consolidation” appears in an internal party document from April 2018 that was leaked to U.S. media as part of a trove of documents known as the “Xinjiang Papers.” The file instructed state agencies throughout the country to “strengthen the standardized management of the construction, renovation and expansion of Islamic religious venues” and stressed that “there should not be newly built Islamic venues” in order to “compress the overall number (of mosques).”

“The Chinese government is not ‘consolidating’ mosques as it claims, but closing many down in violation of religious freedom,” said Maya Wang, acting China director at Human Rights Watch. “The Chinese government’s closure, destruction and repurposing of mosques is part of a systematic effort to curb the practice of Islam in China.”

In Liaoqiao and Chuankou villages in Ningxia, authorities dismantled the domes and minarets of all seven mosques and razed the main buildings of three of them between 2019 and 2021, according to videos and pictures posted online and corroborated with satellite imagery by the group’s researchers.

Additionally, the ablution hall of one mosque was damaged inside, according to videos obtained by the group.

The Associated Press could not independently verify the changes described in the report.

The policy of “consolidating mosques” was also referenced in a March 2018 document issued by the government of Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia. According to the paper, the government wanted to “strictly control the number and scale of religious venues” and called for mosques to adopt “Chinese architecture styles.”

The paper suggested the “integration and combination of mosques” could “solve the problem of too many religious venues.”

In Gansu province, several local governments have detailed efforts to “consolidate” mosques.

In Guanghe County, where the majority of the population is Hui, authorities in 2020 “canceled the registration of 12 mosques, closed down five mosques and improved and consolidated another five,” according to the government’s annual yearbook, referenced in the Human Rights Watch report.

News reports also suggest the Chinese government has closed or altered mosques in other places around the country, occasionally facing public backlash. In May, protesters in Nagu town in southern Yunnan province clashed with police over the planned demolition of a mosque’s dome.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Jimmy Swaggart preaching to a large crowd.

Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart Passes Away at 90 Following Recent Cardiac Arrest

TELEVANGELIST Jimmy Swaggart has died at age 90 over two weeks after…

Son Allegedly Fatally Attacks Mother’s Boyfriend Over Steak Dinner Dispute

A STEAK family dinner led to a son fatally stabbing his mother’s…
Jonah Tong, Carson Benge representing Mets in Futures Game

Mets’ Futures Game Representatives: Jonah Tong and Carson Benge

On Monday, two of the Mets’ most promising prospects received All-Star nods…
Senate passes Trump's sweeping 'big beautiful' agenda bill, sending it to the House

Senate Approves Trump’s Comprehensive Agenda Bill, Now Heads to House

The Senate Republicans narrowly pushed through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act…
Broken pieces of dark chocolate on a dark surface.

Chocolate from major Walmart competitor recalled in 8 U.S. states due to undeclared, potentially dangerous ingredient.

SHOPPERS have been urged to check their pantries after a box of…
People fleeing in panic.

Dramatic Scene: Russians Flee Fireballs During Ukrainian Kamikaze Drone Attack on Putin’s ‘Gun City’

THIS is the dramatic moment Russians sprinted in terror as Ukrainian kamikaze…
Sen. Chris Murphy Says Quiet Part Out Loud About Democrat Socialist Mamdani and His Party

Sen. Chris Murphy Publicly Acknowledges Unspoken Truths About Democratic Socialist Mamdani and His Party

During an interview with CNN’s Kasie Hunt, Murphy was questioned about the…
Exterior of a cluttered shed where two children lived.

Siblings, Aged 9 and 6, Discovered Living Off-Grid in Farm: Limited Communication Skills and Use of Diapers

A BROTHER and sister have been discovered by horrified cops living off-grid…
California police nab 7 foreign nationals in jewelry store heist, 1 suspect still loose

California Police Arrest 7 Foreign Nationals in Jewelry Store Robbery; 1 Suspect Remains at Large

Seven men, suspected of jewelry thefts in their home countries, have reportedly…
Trail grows cold in manhunt for survivalist father as authorities reach breaking point: 'I'm still angry'

Manhunt for Survivalist Father Reaches Breaking Point as Trail Goes Cold: ‘I’m Still Angry’

The search continues for a survivalist father accused of killing his three…
AI provision in 'Big Beautiful Bill' scrapped by a vote of 99-1

AI Provision Removed From ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ in Overwhelming 99-1 Vote

State and local lawmakers and AI safety advocates argued that the rule…
'Big, beautiful bill' funding failure puts US at risk from bad actors, expert warns

Expert Warns US Faces Increased Risks as Funding Bill Fails

As lawmakers advance the comprehensive One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the leader…