During Ramadan, Chinese authorities in Xinjiang, primarily populated by Muslim Uyghurs, have employed a combination of festivities and surveillance to deter fasting, prayer, and observance of the holy month, which has recently concluded.
In Atush, officials reported to Radio Free Asia that they arranged cultural events, outdoor gatherings with food distribution, and held communal meetings in the early evenings, coinciding with iftar, the meal breaking the fast at sunset.
Meanwhile, in Ghulja, police conducted patrols and home inspections to monitor fasting activities, banning gatherings on the streets to prevent communal iftar dinners. Police officers emphasized the prohibition of collective iftar and prayer, closely monitoring residents’ activities, including visits to relatives during iftar.
In Urumqi, traffic police monitored taxi drivers to ensure they did not fast or pray during Ramadan.
Social media videos from Xinjiang depicted Uyghurs singing Chinese songs and participating in outdoor gatherings with beer bottles, seemingly aimed at promoting eating, dancing, and entertainment rather than religious practices.
However, obtaining firsthand accounts from Uyghurs in Xinjiang is challenging due to Chinese censorship and restrictions on communication with journalists. Nonetheless, advocates and experts outside China assert that Beijing has long sought to discourage Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities from observing Ramadan and practicing Islam, under the pretext of combating religious extremism and terrorism.
This post is based on the information of Radio Free Asia
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/disrupting-ramadan-04052024145628.html