Fasting During Ramadan Restricted For Xinjiang Government Staff

As the holy month of Ramadan commenced on Monday, government websites have restricted civil servants, students and children in a majorly Muslim region from fasting.

The ruling Communist party is known for its atheism and has for years prevented government employees and minors from fasting in Xinjiang, a place with over 10 million devout Muslim Uighur minority. Restaurants have also be ordered to remain open during the holy month.

The region is notorious for the commotion between Uighurs and state security forces, with Beijing putting the blame on militants for the deadly attacks, claiming that they fight for the independence of the resource-rich region.

However, rights groups are of the opinion that the tensions are as a result of the cultural and religious restrictions placed on Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the area, which amounts for Central Asia.

A few local government departments in Xinjiang informed the public through their websites in the previous week about the restriction on fasting during Ramadan.

The holy month requires believers to fast from dawn to dusk and to endeavor for piety.

A notice on the government website of central Xinjiang’s Korla City read “Party members, cadres, civil servants, students and minors must not fast for Ramazan and must not take part in religious activities.”

“During the Ramazan month, food and drink businesses must not close,” it added.

A Uighur official, Ahmatjan Tohti told a few men wearing traditional doppa hats at a meeting in the city’s Tiekeqi township that officials ought to “resolutely stop party members, civil servants, students and minors from entering mosques for religious activities” during the festival.

An education bureau-run website of the regional capital Urumqi’s Shuimogou district posted a notice demanding the  “prevention of students and teachers from all schools from entering mosques for religious activities”, during Ramadan.

Additionally, officials in the northern city of Altay reach a consensus to “increase contact with parents”, to “prevent fasting during Ramazan”, according to the state-run China Ethnicities Religion website.

The Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County government in northwest Xinjiang stated that restaurants in area would be expected to remain during Ramadan to “ensure that the broader masses have normal access to cuisine”.

An exile group, Dilxat Raxit of the World Uighur Congress voiced their thoughts regarding the restrictions in an email, claiming that “China thinks that the Islamic faith of Uighurs threatens the rule of the Beijing leadership”.

China maintains strict control over religious groups, although Beijing claims it grants citizens a broad freedom of belief.

China’s State Council released a white paper claiming that religious freedom in Xinjiang “cannot be matched by any other period in history”.

“During the month of Ramazan, Muslim restaurants can decide whether they want to do business. There will be no interference,” it said.

“Local governments ensure that all religious activities during Ramazan go on in an orderly manner,” it added.

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Posted by modousarr on Jun 7 2016. Filed under Latest News, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.