Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report on Wednesday that said China is shuttering mosques in Ningxia and Gansu provinces under a “mosque consolidation” policy that violates the religious freedom of Muslim residents.
“The Chinese government is not ‘consolidating’ mosques as it claims, but closing many down in violation of religious freedom,” said HRW’s acting director for China, Maya Wang.
“The Chinese government’s closure, destruction, and repurposing of mosques is part of a systematic effort to curb the practice of Islam in China,” Wang said.
This photo taken on June 4, 2019, shows the Chinese flag flying over the Juma mosque in the restored old city area of Kashgar, in China’s western Xinjiang region. (GREG BAKER/AFP/Getty Images)
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